


A Matter of Time

by LauraRoslinForever



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Outlaw Queen - Freeform, missing year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 59,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauraRoslinForever/pseuds/LauraRoslinForever
Summary: A rewrite of season 3B. What if Regina was the one to come back from the Enchanted Forest pregnant and not Snow White?





	1. Enchanted Serenade

 

_"Is that a heart?"_

_Regina sighed and her tone was sharp as she snapped, "Go away!"_

_"It's your heart, isn't it?" Snow White implored in that sickeningly sweet voice that set Regina's nerves on end._

_Memories began to shift, Snow White's face faded away, and then suddenly she was looking up into the face of a man with bright blue eyes._

_"It's 'Your Majesty,'" Regina clarified, before letting her eyes drop taking in the tips of his muddy boots, up and up, flowing the tightly fit leather that he donned. "And I'm fine."_

_With humor in his voice, he replied, "A simple 'thank you' would suffice."_

_The scene quickly faded, and the once bright morning had turned dark._

_"Who knew a thief had honor?" She heard herself say._

_"Who knew an Evil Queen had a soft spot for children?"_

_His smile made her stomach clench._

_The forest faded, and suddenly she was in her room; a voice from behind her pleaded, "That doesn't mean you won't find a new reason. We all get a second chance, Regina. You just have to open your eyes to see it."_

_Dizzy. Her head spun as she heard a loud thwack and then turned in the direction of the thief. "That arrow almost took off my head!"_

_His chin rose in challenge. "Well, that door almost took off your arm! Where I come from a simple, thank you, will suffice."_

_Regina blinked once, twice, and without warning, she was no longer across the room yelling at him, but in his arms. "Robin... I..."_

_"I love you, Regina."_

_"Robin…"_

_Then his face, the face she loved so much, began to fade away, and as it did, so did the love she felt for this man. Questions began to bloom in her mind. Why did she love him? Where was she? What was happening to her?_

_As hard as she tried to fight the blackness that began to engulf her, she was suddenly so tired. Regina opened her mouth to call out for him, but his name… She swallowed once before her eyes slowly closed._

_Her last thought before she succumbed to the darkness was she couldn't remember his name._

* * *

Shaking off the last fuzzy remnants of sleep, Regina opened her eyes slowly and stared at the ceiling. Closing her eyes again, she tried to quash the feeling of despair that threatened, trying to hold onto the memories that were disappearing in front of her.

Out of the darkness, hazy images and flashes of places and people danced through her mind, flitting just out of reach and recognition. They skipped and skittered past conscious thought until the silky strands of memory intertwined, weaving themselves into the backdrop where she could not retrieve them.

Opening her eyes once more, she sighed, confused. What was she doing in her bed? In Storybrooke? The last thing she remembered was standing in the street watching Henry and Emma drive away. She heaved her body up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her head spun with dizziness, and she closed her eyes, trying to regain equilibrium. She leaned over slightly, touching her forehead, and her eyes flew open. Her jaw dropped, her mouth forming an "o," and she gasped in shock.

Regina reached out, her right hand hovering over her once flat stomach, and she tightened her fist, afraid to touch it.

Her stomach was no longer flat.

Leaning back she looked down at it in absolute horror. But this couldn't be!

She was pregnant.

Regina sat with her head in her hands and took deep breaths. This could not be happening. Shaking her head, she bit her lip in a failed attempt to hold back a sob. Memories rose up from all those years ago, back in the Enchanted Forest, back when she was filled with anger and drank a potion in a vain endeavor to hurt her mother. To get back at her. And had ended up only hurting herself.

Closing her eyes, Regina could still remember the pain, the excruciating pain, as the potion swept away any hope of her ever having a child. And it had. She'd been barren ever since.

At least, so she'd thought.

Running her shaky hands through her hair, Regina took another deep breath before she allowed herself to look down again. This was no dream, but how could this be real?

She placed a hand tentatively on the bump. Closing her eyes, she fought back tears as another onslaught of emotions threatened to overwhelm her, but it was no use. As the tears fell down her cheeks, she slowly scanned her room.

It looked the same as yesterday and the day before that and the day before. But how... who... She stopped herself there, it was pointless. Clearly, something was very, very wrong.

There was her dresser with her jewelry neatly placed on top. Her bedside table with her copy of Anna Karenina, that Henry had given her for her last birthday. Her cell phone and watch also lay there in wait. She glanced at the photo of herself and Henry took outside of Granny's, but looking at it for too long made her heart ache. Her head snapped up. If she was here, would Henry be back too? She got up quickly, stumbling for a moment as she felt the new distribution of weight, and fled her room she sprinted down the hall as fast as someone in her condition could. Opening the door to his room, her face fell and she sank against the door frame.

It was empty.

A real sense of hopelessness settled over her. She leaned back against the wall for support, as she was sure her legs would give out. Just then, a small jab from inside her brought her back to reality, and she gasped, her hand flying to the spot on her stomach.

Hot tears sprang to her eyes and fell down her cheeks. Her legs were like lead, and she couldn't feel her fingers. Slowly the world began to right itself, and she stood straight and tall.

She needed answers.

Making her way back to her bedroom, she picked up her phone and dialed.

There was a heartbeat pause, but then the person on the other line picked up.

"Yes, it's me. No, I don't remember anything either. No, it's alright. I'll come to you. I have another problem other than just my memories being gone."

* * *

If the situation had been different and their circumstances less critical, Regina would have kept her pregnancy quiet for as long as she could. Though that would be a complete impossibility as far along as she was, and unless she was going to lock herself in her house until the child was born, she wouldn't be able to hide it. Even if she could, with all at stake, she felt Snow and David needed to know so they could all piece the last year back together.

Regina stood just outside the doorway with her shoulders sagging, and she sighed. She might as well get this over with. They needed answers, and as much as she didn't wish to be questioned about how she was in her current situation, she was going to have to deal with it sooner or later.

She gave a sharp knock on the door and waited.

She could hear the light footsteps and knew who would be on the other side as the door opened.

"Regina, thank Goodness… what?" Snow's happy smile upon first seeing her disappeared almost instantly, her wide eyes drifting back and forth from Regina's face to her stomach.

Regina could have laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation had it not been so serious. A dozen emotions played across Snow White's face, and she watched in some amusement as they all vied for supremacy.

"Are you going to invite me in, or are you going to stare at me all day?"

"Regina, what… how…" Snow gasped. "You're pregnant!"

"Who's pregnant?" David stopped in his tracks as Regina walked through the door. His expression was one of someone completely flabbergasted. He looked at her as though she was possessed. "Oh."

Regina rolled her eyes at them both. "Yes, as you can see I seem to be…" She looked down at herself, her arms gesturing circles in the general vicinity of her stomach as she finished lamely, "with child."

"There's no "seem to be" about it… How is that even possible?" Snow's brow furrowed, growing more upset by the minute.

Regina gritted her teeth and shook her head. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is standing in the street with you, watching Henry and Emma drive away right before the curse hit."

David nodded. "It's the same for us. All of us, actually."

Snow crossed her arms in front of her. "David went into town this morning, everyone is affected. It's not just us."

Regina tilted her head to the side and frowned. "So we are missing I'd say close to a year of our lives."

The couple's eyes found one another's and then back to Regina. Silence filled the room as they all took in the seriousness of the situation.

Finally, it was Snow's voice that broke the silence. Her eyes drifted down to Regina's stomach again. "Do you know who, I mean do you remember how…?"

"Do you know who the father is?" David asked the question Snow had been trying to get to.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the unCharmings. "No."

David ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, so how do we figure out what happened to us? Obviously, someone cast the curse, again."

When his gaze fell on her, Regina straightened her shoulders and glared at him. "David, honestly? Do you really believe I'd do this to myself? Bring myself back here pregnant and without Henry? Besides, to cast the curse requires sacrificing the one you love most. Henry obviously wasn't there, so I obviously didn't do it!"

Snow stepped towards Regina. "Regina, of course, we don't think that, but if it wasn't you, who else would do this to us?"

The three of them stood there staring at each other for a moment before shaking their heads slowly.

* * *

"I'm surprised you found anything that fit you," Snow said, as she opened the trunk which held some of her favorite winter wear.

Regina looked up at her with a glare. "Excuse me?"

Snow chuckled at Regina's indignation. "I didn't mean it like that, it's just your clothes are always so…"

"So what?" Regina pursed her lips in irritation at the vague insinuation.

"Oh come on, all I'm saying is you have always had a tiny figure and now you don't."

"So now you're calling me fat?" Regina threw the shirts she'd just picked up back into the dresser beside her.

"You're not fat, Regina. You're pregnant." Snow looked over her shoulder at Regina. "I think it's sweet. You don't look like you've really gained any weight at all. You're all baby bump."

Regina tossed Snow a glare and, shutting the drawer, crossed her arms across her chest. "None of these will work."

"Oh, come on, why not?" Snow continued to dig into the trunk beside her and then pulled one out from the bottom and waved it triumphantly. "Aha! Here look, this one is big and comfy."

Regina scrunched up her nose as Snow held up a pale pink wool sweater. "I don't wear pink."

Snow dropped her hands. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Regina said, defiantly. She might be in need of new clothes, but she would not wear anything pink. She grabbed her jacket off the bed and pulled it on. "Thank you for the thought, but I'll just go do some shopping tomorrow."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Snow asked, hesitantly glancing at Regina, as she began putting the clothes away.

Regina looked at Snow's concerned face and her apprehensions about having this conversation mounted. She took a deep breath. "I don't need to be coddled."

"I know you don't, Regina." Snow walked over to her. "This is just so unexpected and, well, I just want you to know I'm here for you if you ever need anything."

An awkward silence filled the room, both women lost in their own thoughts.

"It must have been quite a shock," Snow said, gesturing to Regina's stomach. "Waking up like that."

Regina chuckled darkly, and she took a step back sitting down on the bed behind her, taking a moment to rub her lower back. She was definitely not used to the extra weight. "I don't think 'shock' quite covers it."

"Are you okay?" Snow's soft voice asked, sitting on the side of the bed, and taking Regina's hand before she could resist. Regina opened her mouth to answer but Snow continued, "And don't tell me you're fine, Regina. I think we both know you better than that."

Regina took a deep breath. Talking about her emotions and feelings was not something she was used to, especially when it came to talking about them with Snow White. Opening up to people was not her forte but, if she was honest with herself, she knew a small part of her wanted to talk about it. "No, I'm not fine. I miss Henry. I don't know if I'll ever see him again, I woke up pregnant with no memory of how I got this way or with whom, and to top it off we have to figure out who did this to us."

Regina looked over calmly at Snow who was frowning at her. "However, right now, I have to focus on the latter and how to get our memories back. The rest will have to wait."

Snow smiled sadly at her as she placed her hand on Regina's arm and looked at her with warm concern. "I understand but, by the look of things, you can't put it off too much longer. This isn't something you can brush off, Regina. This is a baby. You're going to be a mother again." Snow squeezed her hand.

Regina didn't want to hear this right now. She was going to have a baby. And now she was going to cry.

Just then there was a tentative knock on the door, and suddenly their attention shifted as they heard talking and a familiar voice filled the downstairs. Snow's brow furrowed. Walking over by the stairs she glanced down and gasped. Regina quickly followed her line of vision, and her eyes widened.

Emma.

The blonde had been speaking to David. Regina couldn't make out what he's told her but could just make out the woman's response of, "But if you can't remember, then how do you know that it's been…"

"Emma!" Snow cried, taking the stairs almost two at a time, and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.

Regina, however, in her current predicament, was left completely unbalanced, and she took greater care coming down the stairs.

Emma inhaled sharply as her eyes landed on Regina. "…a year?"

David gave her a humorless smile. "As you can see, a lot's happened."

Finally making her way to the group, Regina said, "We just don't know what."

Snow nodded. "The whole year is gone."

Emma frowned and tried to cover the fact that she'd been staring openly at Regina in shock. Then the blonde said the first thing that came to her mind, which happened to be what they'd all been thinking. "Who's the dad?"

Regina took a long deep breath. "That seems to be the million-dollar question. I have no idea."


	2. Which Witch?

 

"Okay, Henry's asleep upstairs. If he wakes up, you guys are helping me with the case, okay?" Emma said to all of them, taking a seat on the couch. "So, what the hell happened here? I mean," her eyes shifted across the room and settled on Regina before finishing with, "besides the obvious."

Regina pursed her lips but remained silent. They'd all gone over this more times today than she cared to. She was exhausted and emotionally drained. As much as she wished she could see Henry, she couldn't bear him looking at her with no memory of who she was. All she wanted to do was go home in case he woke, but it seemed she would be stuck until they sorted this whole thing out.

Snow sat up from the chair across from Emma. "We don't know. We watched you drive over the town line with Henry, Regina started to cast her spell to take us all back to the Enchanted Forest, and then everything went black."

David. who'd been pacing the floor behind Snow's chair, came to a stop, and caught his daughter's eyes. "And the next thing we remember is waking up in our beds like it was any other morning in Storybrooke."

Regina scoffed and looked down. "Except it clearly wasn't."

"Almost harvest time, but you can't remember who planted the seed. That's bad luck, Majesty," Hook teased from across the room, and Regina shot him a look that clearly told him if he wanted to keep his other limbs intact he would keep his pirate wit to himself.

Emma's voice rose up to keep the conversation from going sour. "Clearly, a year has passed. I was in New York, I know that it did."

David shook his head. "And we don't know where the hell we were. We don't even know if we left Storybrooke."

"Aye, you did. I was with you all," Hook confirmed.

Surprised, Snow turned to look at the pirate. "In the Enchanted Forest?"

Hook nodded. "Aye, Regina's spell brought us back. We spent a brief time with a Prince and Princess named Phillip and Aurora. But I wasn't feeling the community spirit, so I ventured off on my own. Last I saw of you lot, you were making your way to Regina's castle."

Emma looked a bit too smug as her gaze wandered to Regina. "And now you're cursed. Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Regina took a deep breath, already tired of defending herself. "Look, I didn't cast this curse if that's what you're thinking."

Emma leaned back studying her. "The thought did cross my mind."

"Why would I do this?" Regina asked, standing up with a little more effort than what she was used to. "Why would I erase," she glanced down at her stomach with emphasis and stated, "a clearly  _important_  year of my life?"

"Maybe it was a bad year for you." Emma raised an eyebrow, her eyes meeting Regina's. "Maybe this curse was your way of getting me to bring Henry back here."

"With no memory of me? If I wanted my son back, do you think I'd put myself through this kind of torture? Especially now?" Unconsciously, Regina's hand went to rest protectively on her stomach as tears prickled in her eyes. Damn those pregnancy hormones! "I cast curses to hurt  _other_ people, not myself."

Emma stood up, in what Regina took as an attempt to level the ground with her. "Maybe so, but we need to start crossing people off the list."

"How?" Regina demanded, annoyed at Emma's self made ego. "By walking around, using your superpower on everyone?"

"You got a better idea?" the blonde countered.

Then something inside Regina clicked. Everyone was so quick to accuse her, but how did the " _savior"_  manage to get here in the first place? Crossing her arms across her chest, she asked, "Why are  _you_  here?"

"Storybrooke. A new curse. Missing year. Why do you think?" Emma's tone was at it's snarky best, setting Regina's teeth on edge.

She closed her eyes, conjuring up every ounce of patience she had left in her, and she breathed out slowly. "No, what I mean is, how did you know to come back? I gave you and Henry a new life, new memories."

Emma tilted her head at the pirate across the room. "Hook found me, gave me a potion that made me remember. There wasn't enough for Henry."

"Oh. Well, how convenient." Regina placed her hands on her now aching back. Determined this pregnancy would not slow her down, she let out a breath and ignored the pain.

David's brow furrowed and he turned his attention toward Killian. "If you left the Enchanted Forest before the curse, how did you know to find Emma and come to Storybrooke?"

"As I was sailing the realms, a seagull landed on my ship's wheel with a note instructing me to retrieve Emma and bring her back here. There was a small vial of memory potion tied to its leg," Hook finished.

"Who sent it?" Snow looked at him expectantly.

Looking between Snow and David, Hook said, "I assumed you did."

"Message via bird that does sound like you," David admitted, looking at his wife with a wry smirk.

Everyone looked up as the front door swung open; a haggard looking Grumpy approached them followed by Happy.

"What is it?" David asked looking between the two dwarves.

Grumpy threw his arms to his side. "We lost another one. We're down to five now."

"Four, actually," Happy confirmed as he held out his cell phone. "Bashful's not answering."

Emma got up from her chair and turned to them. "Wait. What is going on?"

Grumpy looked at Emma. "Thank God you're back, sister."

Snow stood and moved towards Emma. "It's not just our memories that are missing. Ever since we woke up, people have begun disappearing."

"Whoever cursed us is picking us off one by one," Grumpy replied.

Emma turned to her father. "Who exactly is missing?"

"Aside from those dwarfs, we're not sure. There's been a lot of confusion over the past few days. It's been hard to keep track of everyone," David said, regretfully.

In a soft voice, Emma asked, "Wait. Neal, is he here?"

Regina noticed the way Hook turned to look at Emma. She arched a brow knowingly.

"Well, we haven't found him yet," Snow soothed.

Never one to beat around the bush, Emma got to the point. "So he might have been taken, too."

Grumpy deadpanned. "Smart money's on yes."

"Leroy!" Snow scolded.

"He'll turn up, Swan. He always does," Hook assured her, somewhat reluctantly.

"Some folks are starting to set up camp in the woods at the edge of town. Neal might be there," David added.

Snow met Emma's worried eyes. "Or he may not have gotten swept up in the curse at all."

Emma crossed her arms. "There's only one way we're gonna figure all this out. We need to get your memories back."

"How are we going to do that?" Snow asked, hopefully.

Emma looked over at Regina. "By figuring out who took them in the first place."

* * *

Regina rolled over to her back and stared at the familiar ceiling. For a breathless moment she tensed, disorientated, and then sagged back into the bed when she remembered where she was.

Home.

Home in Storybrooke.

She pulled the covers tight under her chin. Her hand wandered down her stomach.

Last night she stayed up late thinking over her options regarding the baby. The father was obviously out of the picture, although once she had her memories back she could not dismiss him entirely, if he was even brought back to this land. However, if he wasn't, her options were pretty straightforward.

A baby.

She was having a baby.

Regina checked the time. It was still early.

She wandered downstairs and yawned as she stood in front of the coffee pot pouring herself a cup of her usual black coffee, but after a couple of sips, realizing what she was doing, she dumped it and poured herself a glass of water. Frowning, she shook her head. She was a reasonable person to know that a little caffeine wouldn't hurt the baby, but at the same time she couldn't help but think how lucky she was to be pregnant at all. Running a hand across the top of her belly, she gazed down at her new 'bump,' as Snow called it. She couldn't help but feel this need to do anything in her power to keep her baby safe and healthy.

And if that meant giving up coffee for a month or two, so be it.

With a sigh, she put all thoughts of coffee out of her mind and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead. She had to meet Emma down at the Town Hall in a few hours, and she still had some shopping to do.

Starting the shower, Regina stripped off her pajamas, which were now a pair of yoga pants and a tee-shirt, and then ducked under the steaming cascade. The water was nice and hot, and by the time she emerged ten minutes later, she was feeling a little more like herself. She brushed her teeth then stepped into the bedroom wearing only a towel. Opening her dresser she grabbed a clean bra and underwear and threw them on the bed. Picking up her favorite boots with wide heels, she tossed them on the floor next to the bed.

Standing in front of her closet, she frowned. As she tugged through her array of skirts, dresses, and pants, she sighed. Great. Just what she needed. Then she thought about the yoga pants she wore to bed and the other workout clothes she had back when she used to enjoy running. Before the first curse was broken. When time stood still, instead of threatening to take all that she had. Back at her dresser, she pulled out one of the many black pairs of running pants. They were not something she'd wear regularly, but they were stretchy, and they'd have to do for now.

Thirty minutes later, Regina couldn't ever remember dressing to be such a chore. Yesterday had been such a blur, so she didn't fully register how tight her bra was until now. With a roll of her eyes, she thought, ' _just another thing I have to buy.'_

After throwing on the pants and stretching a tank-top over her belly, she grabbed a knitted sweater from the back of her closet. To her great surprise it actually zipped up. Thankful for one small favor, she sat down to put on her boots.

She groaned as she stretched forward. She would never take being able to bend over for granted again. She shifted sideways in an attempt to zip up the first boot. Once she finished, she reached for its mate. Regina growled out in frustration as she had to pitch sideways to reach it, and even then, she still couldn't get the zipper up.

Somewhat out of breath, Regina glared down at her bump. A moment later, with a wave of her hand, purple smoke rose, then dissipated around her, and her other boot was magically now zipped. Regina shook her head at herself, wondering why she didn't use her magic in the first place.

Glancing across the room, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. All of a sudden, it became startlingly real, and she was assailed by a wave of deep-rooted self-doubt. Having a baby was the last thing she'd imagined doing in so very long.

Sitting there, staring at her reflection with her hands caressing protectively over the bump that was her baby, she could feel the panic rising. It bubbled from the deepest recesses of her mind, spreading over her like oil on water, suffocating and stifling all the joy. She took a deep, hitching breath, and just as she was about to let the tears she'd been holding back fall, there was suddenly a flutter in her belly, very strong, very defiant.

She sat stock-still and waited. She gasped, when it happened again. Lifting one of her hands, she placed it where she felt the kicks. "Okay, little one, I know you've known me a lot longer than I've known you, but you're going to have to be patient with me." Her voice softened, and she caressed the spot where she felt another stubborn kick. As if the baby was attempting to scold her for her negative thoughts. "So if I say anything or think anything that's, well... that's not very nice, just ignore me. I have the strongest feeling that you are very special and you were made from..." Regina closed her eyes, as a tear slipped down her cheek. She pressed her lips together before speaking the only thing she knew to be true. The only thing that could have broken her curse. "You were made from True Love."

Another kick and Regina let out a light laugh. Smiling down at her stomach, she said, "I promise to keep you safe, and I promise I'll figure this out." The moment was broken with a ding of her cell phone. Sighing, Regina got to her feet and took her phone from beside her bed.

 _I'm ready when you are_ , read the text from Snow. Regina shook her head. Who would have thought she would one day be going clothes shopping with Snow White.

* * *

An hour later, she opened the door to the town hall, and she was wearing a new outfit that accentuated her condition quite beautifully. Snow had made it an official duty to have all of her new clothes taken back to her house while Regina met with Emma.

She silently watched from the back of the room as Emma attempted to quiet the angry crowd which, Regina thought with a bit of smug satisfaction, the blonde was failing miserably at.

"Everyone! Everyone, I know that you're frightened and confused, but I need you to listen," Emma cried, over all the voices shouting in the room.

A voice rang out, "Is it true? Is there some kind of monster keeping us from leaving town?"

"Is that what happened to my brothers?" Another shouted.

"Yes," Emma confirmed. "We believe that people are being abducted as they approach the town line."

"So we're trapped here again?" Granny spoke, standing up making her presence known.

"It's no different than last time," Emma affirmed.

"Last time, we lost our memories. This time, we get dragged into the woods!" Grumpy shouted, angrily.

The dwarf was starting to wear on Regina's last nerve.

"Do you know who cursed us, and why they want us here?" Belle stood up from beside Granny.

Emma nodded. "I'm working on it, but it's hard to figure out who cast a curse when no one remembers the last year."

"Who? Isn't it obvious?" Grumpy spat.

Emma looked at him expectantly. "Do you remember something?"

His voice dripped with accusation as he turned speaking to the room. "Who cast the last curse? Who knows how to use it? Who's the only one who ever did anything like this before?! The Evil Queen!"

Not surprised by the turn of events, Regina held up her hands. "For once, I'm just as clueless as the rest of you."

"You expect us to believe that?" Whale looked at Regina.

Regina looked pointedly back at the doctor, who she suddenly just realized, with horror, was the only doctor in town. No, he was  _definitely_  not getting anywhere near her uterus. She blinked at him. "It's the truth."

The old woman spoke up again, "This curse has your fingerprints all over it."

"And you did take away our memories once before…" Belle added.

"Still have your big house," Granny went on.

Regina was incredulous. Do they really think her that petty? If they were going to accuse her of something, at least give her credit for wanting something more sinister than damn real estate. Moving from the back, she walked slowly toward the middle of the room, only stopping once she was in directly in line with Emma. "You think I care about my house? About my job? About any of these things?"

Archie stood now. "Regina, please. Just tell us the truth. We'll understand."

"Speak for yourself," Belle mumbled.

"I am telling the truth. If I had done this, there's one thing I'd have right now." She paused a moment, then added, "My son."

Emma's hands were on her hips holding her ground. "Yeah, you're not getting anywhere near him until I get to the bottom of what's going on here."

Regina tilted her head, lowering her voice she said, "So now you're siding with the rabble? I thought we'd been through this. I'm innocent."

"Yes, that's what you said before, but now I'm wondering if I believe you."

Many got up out of their chairs, some started towards her. Really? Even pregnant she had no sympathy? Regina rolled her eyes before she held out her hands, stopping them all in their tracks, and warned, "Don't come any closer!"

"Regina…" Emma began.

"Do you remember who you're dealing with? If you all want me to be the Evil Queen, then fine." Regina smiled internally, but gave the outward appearance of the person they were all thinking of. "That's exactly who you'll get."

An energy erupted from her, as she used her magic to violently shake the ground and building around them. Regina waited a moment, making sure they all got a good hard reminder of the power she possessed before releasing it, raising both of her hands, and disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

"An earthquake?"

Regina looked up from her desk, momentarily savoring the fact the she could still rattle the savior's cage. "I had to make a statement. And you're fine."

Emma walked up to the desk.

"So, do you think they bought it?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, I think they did." Emma said.

Regina was finally starting to feel like they were covering some ground. "Good."

"Nice work. Now let's figure out who really cursed this town."

"How long do you think we have?" Regina wondered as she took out a case placing it on the table in her office.

The blonde sighed. "Until whoever cast this curse realizes you're not actually on the run from me. But till then, no one's gonna suspect we're working together."

"Let's see it."

Emma handed her the small blue bottle and took a seat. "That enough?"

"Uh, to use… No. But to replicate?" Regina shook the bottle, squinting at the remainder. "I think so."

"We can start waking people up, figure out who the hell sent everyone back here."

Regina straightened up, the implications of this hitting her forcefully in the chest. If this worked she'd finally remember. She would know who the father of her child was. A thought that both terrified and excited her. She looked down at Emma who had been watching her. It didn't take a mind reader to guess what she had been thinking. "And I can make Henry remember me. Thank you."

"For what? We haven't done anything yet."

She looked at Emma as though the answer should be obvious. "You saw how quick this town was to blame me, but you… you believe I didn't cast that curse. I know that wasn't easy for you."

"Sure it was. I knew you were telling the truth," Emma answered simply.

Regina started gathering the ingredients she needed. "Even though everything that has happened has put me right next to Henry? Maybe this was some super-complicated, ingenious plan."

"It wasn't. My superpower may not be perfect, but with you, Regina, I always know when you're lying. This time, you're not. You didn't do it."

"Even though you know I can't live without him."

"There you go telling the truth again." Emma smiled up at her.

* * *

"My God," Snow gasped, sitting across from Henry at the diner. "Did you know there's something called "cradle cap"? Babies get it on their heads. It's a crusty, yellow, greasy, scaly skin rash. Seriously! This book uses all of those words."

Henry was engrossed in his game. He was used to half listening to babysitters ramble about weird stuff and tossed out a, "Gross. Yes! De-rezzed him."

Snow placed the book on the table. "You know, there's a library down the street. We can pop in and get you something, if you'd rather. I know how much you love reading."

Henry perked up a bit at the mention of the library. "How'd you know that?"

Scrambling for an answer that would satisfy the preteen, Snow stammered awkwardly, "Y- your mom said, I think."

"Cool. Uh, let me go get my coat. I'll be right down." Henry got up from the booth and started upstairs.

With a relieved sigh, Snow picked up the book and started reading again. If Regina wasn't going to be prepared at least one of them should. "Cradle cap."

"You know, it goes away. It doesn't hurt the baby." Snow turned in the booth at the sound of a voice behind her. "It doesn't?"

The woman with the bright red hair smiled. "Babies are stronger than you think. You're Snow White, aren't you?"

Snow returned the smile. "I'm Mary Margaret here, actually. This must be your first time in Storybrooke?"

The woman nodded, her bright blue eyes glancing around the room. "I missed the last curse, so everything in this world is still a bit new."

Smiling encouragingly, Snow replied, "Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Who were you back in our land?"

With a wave of her hand and the shake of her head ,the redhead gave a light laugh, then, "Oh, no one you'd remember. Not everyone was famous, like you."

Snow laughed along with her, blushing. "I don't know if I'd say " _famous_.'"

"You were a princess, and some of us were just supporting players." Snow opened her mouth to say something but the woman continued on, getting up and coming to stand by her. "No, it's okay. I loved who I was and what I did. I was a midwife."

Snow fully turned to face her. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm. My name's Zelena. So, are you expecting?"

She shook her head. "Oh, no it's not for me it's for," Snow stopped short, taking a moment to look around for anyone who might be Eve's dropping. Lowering her voice, she went on, "my friend. She's expecting and not really prepared. I'm just helping her out."

"She must be very special to have such a great friend like Snow White to help her with her baby. Don't worry, you'll both learn quickly."

"Maybe you could give me some advice?" Snow held up the book in front of her. "I have been turning the corner of every page on which I have a question, and now I can't close the book, there are so many."

Zelena smiled widely. "It would be an honor."

"Careful. Once she has this baby, neither one of us will let you leave our side." Snow laughed, again.

"Just being able to help Snow White with such an important task like helping a friend, I can't think of anything that would make me happier."

* * *

For the last three hours, Regina had weighed, chopped and ground all she needed to replicate Hook's memory potion she procured from Emma. The problem was that if she was off, even by so much as one simple component, her hard work would fail. Potions were never her strong suit. Elemental magic was where she always excelled.

This had to work.

She needed answers not only for herself but for them all. Something serious was going on in town, and not only had she made a promise to keep her baby safe, but Henry as well. She would not fail at that. Whatever was happening, she would protect her children.

Regina poured the final ingredient to the colorless mixture.

"Did it work?" Emma's voice came from the other side of the table.

"There's only one way to find out." Swirling it around it turned black as night, and after a moment, she brought it up to her lips.

"Should you really be drinking that?" Emma asked, worriedly eyeing the dark liquid.

"Don't you worry. The baby will be just fine." Regina replied, confidently right before drinking it down. Smiling, Regina waited for the effects of the potion to work its magic.

"Well?" The blonde's voice rang out. "Do you remember?"

The moment came and passed. Disappointment and anger filled her. Regina turned and threw the glass against the wall.

Emma cringed. "Either that wall did something to you in the past year, or I'm gonna say it didn't work."

Regina placed her hands on the table in front of her. "I must have missed an ingredient."

"Can we try again?"

"I already used up what was left of the potion Hook gave you." Frustrated, Regina snatched up the blue bottle, and slid it roughly across the table at Emma. Walking away she rested her hands on her back. "There's nothing left to replicate. I can't live in this town if Henry doesn't remember me. And I also can't live here knowing that I could be walking down the same street as my baby's father and not know it. That's worse than any curse I ever could have cast."

"What if we can still find the person who cursed the town?"

Regina turned to Emma annoyed. "Haven't you been paying attention? I can't make any more potion."

"You don't have to make anything," Emma said, leaning forward. "We can still catch the person."

Doubt clouded Regina's mind. "How?"

"We've been running a con by making this potion in secret. What if we're running the wrong con?"

Regina crossed her arms and shook her head. She could feel a headache coming on. "I'm -I'm sorry. I'm not well versed in cons. Unlike you, I never spent time in prison."

Emma gave her an unamused smile. "Ha ha. No, it's not something I learned in prison. It's an old bail-bonds trick. You smoke out the perp by making them think you're onto them."

"How does that help us?" she asked, intrigued.

A mischievous grin spread on the savior's face. "If the person who cast the curse thought we were about to make a memory potion."

Regina saw where she was going. "They'd want to stop us."

"Yes, and then we set a trap for them when they do. We just need to get the word out that you're close to making all this work."

Regina grinned. "I know just who to tell."

* * *

Regina sighed, her head falling back tiredly against the headrest of the passenger seat in Emma's car. "So, do we just sit here and wait?"

Emma's gaze never left Regina's office building as she responded, "Till the person who cast the curse makes a move on your office."

"Is this really what you do for a living?"

"Yeah." Emma smiled, proudly. "It's called a stakeout."

Regina looked back to the windows across the street that she was supposed to be watching. She, however, couldn't focus. Her attention focused on the fact that she had to pee. Again. Not to mention the fact that her baby was now doing what could only be described as somersaults on her bladder. She shifted in the seat towards Emma. Attempting to take her mind off of her problem, she wondered aloud, "And you don't get bored?"

"I don't know." Emma picked up her cup of coffee and took a drink. "You find ways to pass time eat, talk, mostly watch, which is what we should be doing."

Regina sighed. After a few moments when she couldn't take the silence any longer, she asked, "Does he have friends?"

The blonde's brow furrowed. "Does who have friends?"

"Henry," Regina clarified. "Does he have any friends in New York?"

"Yeah. He has a lot of friends. No girlfriends yet at least, not that I know about."

Looking down at the cup of tea in her lap, Regina asked, "So he's happy? His life is good there?"

"Yeah, I almost didn't come back because of that."

"Well, why did you?"

Emma sat back and smiled. "Because he may not remember all of this, but I do, and I know what he would say. A hero would come back."

Regina warmed and nodded, proudly. "He would say that."

"Are you sure you don't want to meet him?" Emma almost whined as Regina attempted to blow it off. "We can just tell him you're an old friend, like Mary Margaret and David."

Regina shook her head. Swallowing hard to keep her emotions in check she said, "It would be too hard, but thank you."

"Just let me know if you change your mind." Emma took another drink of her coffee.

They were both silent for a time, then Regina felt Emma's eyes on her. "What?"

Emma gave a quick nod to her belly. "So, you really have no idea who it was?"

Regina groaned. "None."

She could hear the humor in the blonde's voice when she asked, "No special love interest back in the Enchanted Forest?"

Regina bit her tongue. "Obviously, none that I'm aware of."

"Not even from before the first curse?" Emma prodded.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Are we really going to do this now? We have more important things on our plate to deal with than to talk about boys."

"Okay, jeesh. I'm sorry I asked."

Regina shifted in the uncomfortable seat. Feeling a bit guilty, her eyes met the Saviors. "Look, I'm sorry, I'm just a bit more… emotional than usual."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, those hormones get you every time. I remember." She gave Regina a brief smile and looked back out the window.

Just when Regina had thought Emma was about to let it go, she glanced back and asked, "Are you happy about it?"

First Snow, now Emma. Like mother like daughter. Regina sighed before answering, swallowing her emotions down. "I honestly don't know what to think. And anytime I finally get a moment to stop and think about it, I keep coming back to the same problem. That I'm about to have a baby and I have no idea who its father is."

"Well, once we get your memories back your problems will be solved."

"Will they?" Regina shook her head, not as confident as Emma. "He may not even be here. Not everyone comes back with the curse, you know."

Emma frowned. "I can't imagi…" Suddenly a shadow appeared from Regina's office. "We got 'em."

* * *

Emma held her gun down as they walked into the building. "You sure whoever's in there can't escape?"

"I sealed the room with a blood lock. It can keep you out or it can keep you in. I know what I'm doing." Regina waved her hand over the lock, her spell allowing them to enter in the office. Regina went in first followed by Emma.

Her office had been tossed upside down. All of her beakers and her case full of ingredients were knocked off the table laying in broken pieces on the ground.

"There!" Emma called, spotting the dark cloaked figure. "Don't move!"

Regina whipped around, holding the flashlight. "There's nowhere for you to go!"

But the figure disappeared into a green puff of smoke. Regina and Emma stared at the spot where the figure vanished.

Confused, Emma looked to Regina with wide eyes. "I thought you said they couldn't do that."

"No one can break through blood magic, no matter how powerful they are." Regina breathed..

"Then who are we dealing with?"

* * *

Taking the last few steps, Regina froze in her tracks upon reaching the apartment door. Hesitant she said, "Maybe this isn't a good idea."

"It's gonna be fine." Emma assured her. "Trust me."

"Hey. How was your day?"

"Good. Storybrooke is a weird place, but cool. Did you know there's a library inside a clock tower?"

"I do. I've been there before. Come here. I want you to meet someone." Emma said, steering Henry to Regina. "This is Regina Mills. She's the Mayor of this town, and she wanted to meet you."

Henry smiled at her, but noticed her hesitancy. "Is something wrong?" His eyebrows knitted together.

Her heart was in her throat. She wasn't sure she could do this much longer. Her emotions had been riding on her sleeve and she wanted nothing more than to hold her son in her arms. Finding her voice she assured, "No, no. No, nothing's wrong. Uh, your mother just told me a lot about you. I hear you like school and that you're good at English."

"Um yeah. Why'd she tell you all this?" His look was confused and slightly embarrassed.

What could she say? She wished she could covey all her thoughts to him but…"Because she couldn't be prouder of you." She smiled at Henry, and then a thought struck her. "Umm, while you're in town, I was thinking maybe I can give you a tour sometime, you know, show you around. Maybe we can even stop for ice cream." Regina chuckled and rubbed a hand over her stomach. "I seem to have a thing for it these days."

"Yeah, I'd like that." Their eyes held for several moments before his smile faded and a slightly bewildered look took its place. "So, um, it was nice meeting you."

Henry politely held out his hand as Regina naturally went to hug him. Catching herself, she took his hand in hers. Henry gave her one last smile and walked back over to his game.

Regina stared after him and then felt Emma beside her. Dragging her eyes from Henry, she turned back to Emma, who asked, "How was that? You okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she gave the blonde a grim smile. "It was a start."

David walked in the apartment followed by Hook. Making sure Henry was out of earshot, David glanced quickly at everyone. "We need to talk."

"Uh," Emma gestured out into the hall. "Outside."

* * *

"They're being turned into flying monkeys?" Snow gaped.

"Yes, he took on simian form with the added bonus of wings," Hook confirmed.

Snow was near a state of panic. "Do you think that's what happened to the missing dwarfs, too?"

David nodded. "It would explain why we haven't found any trace of them."

"And Neal?" Emma asked.

He shook his head. "No sign of him either. So yeah, it's possible."

"Wouldn't be the first flying monkey I've dated," Emma mumbled. She ignored the quizzical looks the others threw her and waved her hand, dismissing her comment.

Regina leaned against the wall, taking some of the weight off her back. "The person who escaped our trap disappeared in a cloud of green smoke, and now there are flying monkeys in this town? I think we know exactly who cursed us."

Emma blinked at her. Regina raised one elegant eyebrow, and Emma's mouth dropped open.

"No way. The Wicked Witch of the West? Seriously?" The blonde's eyes widened. "She's real, too?"

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Hook added sarcastically.

Emma threw him a look before she shook her head. "I don't get it… It's not like we're in Kansas. Why would the Wicked Witch of the West want to come to  _Storybrooke_?"

Regina sighed and rubbed her belly. "Well, if she's the Wicked Witch, we know one thing: It's not for anything  _good_."


	3. The Park

 

Regina had just finished getting her shoes on when she heard the doorbell downstairs. The person, whoever it was, apparently had no patience because a sharp knocking directly followed the bell.

Hauling herself up from the chair, she started down the hall. She shook her head from the top of the stairs at the sound of the bell again and growled, "I'll be right there."

Regina made it to the front door, slightly out of breath, just as the pounding started again. She yanked it open, ready to give the person a piece of her mind, only to be confronted by the image of a smiling Snow White, who was carrying two huge brown paper bags full of groceries.

A bright tone greeted Regina as Snow breezed past her. "About time, these things aren't getting any lighter, you know."

Regina raised an irritated eyebrow and took a few moments to take a deep breath before replying, "What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Snow replied, heading toward the kitchen with Regina following close behind her. "I'm going to make you breakfast."

"I already ate," Regina bristled. Snow's face fell and Regina couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty for lying. Damn these hormones.

"You did?" came the dark haired woman's soft, disappointed reply.

"Yes," Regina sighed and motioned over to the loaf of wheat bread still out on the counter with a wave of her hand. "I had some toast earlier. So if you don't mind…"

Snow rolled her eyes while setting the bags next to the bread and started to dig out the contents. "That's not a breakfast, Regina," Snow lightly scolded. "You're eating for two now. Come on, sit down. I'm going to make us all something better than toast."

Regina's brows rose. "Us?"

"Yes, well we all planned to meet this morning anyways." Snow shrugged, her pixie cut making her seem younger than her years. "This way, we kill two birds with one stone, and I'll feel better knowing that you've eaten something substantial."

Regina shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose at her step-daughter's audacity. She felt a headache coming on. Lifting her head, she leveled a stare at Snow, who met it with full force of her own. "I suppose I don't have much say in the matter."

Snow shook her head. "Not really, no."

"No say in what?"

Regina swung around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Regina's just being Regina," Snow called over her shoulder to her husband.

Hook appeared behind him with another bag tucked into the crook of his arm. "Good morning, Your Majesty. We're commandeering your home – upon Snow White's invitation of course."

David turned to Regina, answering the obvious question in her wide eyes. "The door was open, we just let ourselves in."

She gave him a wry look. "So I see."

David smiled as he walked over to his wife. Regina watched as he stopped to give Snow a peck on the cheek before rolling up his sleeves, intent on helping to prepare this breakfast Regina just had to eat.

Twenty minutes later, Emma strolled through the door. "Morning. Sorry I'm late. I had to make sure Henry was occupied for the day."

After cups of coffee were distributed, David leaned against the counter. "So now that we know  _who_  we're dealing with, how do we find this Wicked Witch?"

"Might I suggest we start by asking if anyone's seen a woman with green skin running around?" Hook quipped.

Regina fought a losing battle to keep from rolling her eyes at the pirate. "We're cursed in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us." She eyed Hook, still in black leather and eyeliner. "Most of us, that is." He merely smirked and sipped his coffee.

"Then we start somewhere we know she's been - Regina's office?" Emma supplied, catching the eyes of those in the room.

But Regina shook her head. "I went over it with a fine-toothed comb. She left no trace."

"But you were combing for magic. Maybe there's physical evidence that you missed," the blonde pointed out.

David stood up before Regina could answer. "Good idea. We'll track her."

Regina looked over at them all. Going over her office again was all pointless. "If you want to waste your time playing Nancy Drew, be my guest, but we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there."

"Well, especially since one of those flying monkeys could turn out to be his father," Hook offered, much to the discomfort of Snow White.

"Still no sign of Neal?" Snow asked, in an attempt to to smooth over the harsh possible reality behind Hook's words.

"No," Emma sighed.

"Point being, someone needs to protect Henry. He doesn't even know what's going on," Regina reiterated, while trying to keep the annoyance from her tone. She had no interest in Neal's fate. It was Henry and her unborn child who she needed to protect.

"I'm guessing you're volunteering?" Emma looked over at her.

Regina bit back a smile. She'd got what she wanted. "If you find anything, call me," she replied, getting to her feet.

"Just remember," Emma reminded. "He thinks we're here because I'm on a case."

Regina smirked. "Well, look who's gotten good at lying."

"Just don't let anyone slip up. As far as Henry knows, you're Madame Mayor, and that's it," Emma cautioned.

Swallowing hard, Regina fought off the feeling of helplessness and unimaginable sadness that swept over her at the loss of her son. She would give anything to make Henry remember her. Despite her years of magical training, there was nothing she could do, and the Savior just had to keep reminding her. "I'm well aware of how Henry sees me." Regina didn't look at anyone in particular, but it was obvious to whom her comment was directed. Snow leveled a look at her daughter for her tactless remark and sighed.

Once everyone had finished their beverages, David, Emma, and Hook set off to find some evidence left behind from the witch. Regina stood from the table, ready to go get Henry.

"Wait, Regina," Snow called after her before she left the dining room. "Before you go I -well I…"

Tilting her head, Regina's eyes narrowed as she watched the younger woman stammer. The image of Snow as a little girl looking down nervously at her hands while admitting to something she was about to be in trouble for flooded through Regina's mind. Not wanting to relive any of those memories, Regina impatiently cut to the chase. "Spit it out, Snow."

Snow was hesitant but barreled on quickly, knowing she was caught.,"I kind of met this woman in town, and she turned out to be a midwife…"

Regina's eyes widened knowingly. "No."

"Hear me out." Snow's shoulders slumped.

"Forget it," Regina told her, shaking her head. "We have a hospital in town."

"But it's Doctor Whale," Snow stated in mock horror as if Regina wasn't already aware of this. "Do you really want him delivering your baby?"

Regina held her hands out to the side. She had already thought about this, of course, but she wasn't going to admit it. She shrugged and added pointedly, "As much as I don't enjoy the idea, he's the only doctor we have."

"Until now," Snow added with a knowing look, making Regina sigh. She didn't bother pointing out that a midwife was  _not_ a doctor, and besides that, this woman was an unknown. Who was to say she really had been a midwife? They only had her word to go on. But Snow was so damned persistent...

"Come on, she's really nice, and if you don't like her, I swear I will leave it alone." Snow waved her hands in front of her.

Regina thought for a moment and then placed both hands on the counter. "Why do you feel this need to fuss over me? I'm fine."

"Please, Regina," Snow White pleaded.

The former queen shook her head. She was surprised Snow wasn't stomping her foot as well. "You're not going to drop this until you get your way, are you?"

"Well I know I can't force you to meet her, but Regina, despite all of our problems, I just want what's best for you and your baby," Snow admitted softly.

Regina bit the inside of her cheek. "Fine, when do you plan on doing this?"

Snow cringed. "In a few minutes…"

"Now?" Regina scoffed, aggravated. "I'm spending the day with Henry."

"It won't take long," Snow promised. "All you have to do is meet her."

"Fine, but…" Regina held up a finger, emphasizing her last words, "Only one minute."

"Thanks."

Five minutes later, a very annoyed Regina stood uncomfortably in the foyer while a cheerful 'Mary Margaret' made introductions.

"Zelena, this is Regina."

The red haired woman smiled and held out her hand. Regina was surprised to find she was younger than she expected.

"Madame Mayor, it's so lovely to meet you."

"Likewise; so Mary-Margaret tells me you're a midwife." Regina shook the woman's hand and then sat down on the couch while Zelena mirrored her, sitting across from Regina in an armchair.

"Yes, back in our realm I delivered many babies. I've been doing this since I was a young girl; my mother was a mid-wife too. I suppose it comes naturally to me."

Snow took a seat next to Regina and smiled as though expecting Regina to add something further. Regina rolled her eyes. This was ridiculous, she had things to do.

Zelena must have noticed the tension in the room because she took the opportunity to break the silence with a, "I take it this is your first pregnancy?"

Regina's smile tightened. "It is."

"I'm sure you're not worried though," Zelena stated with an airy laugh. "I mean, Mary Margaret here has already gone through labor, so I'm sure she's told you all about it. At least you know what to expect."

The room grew quiet. Did this woman live under a rock back in the Enchanted Forest? Regina cast a sideways glance at Snow. "Um, yes. I heard all about it."

"It's not something I'm sure I'll forget," Snow mumbled.

"Well, it's been almost 30 years," came Regina's best olive branch.

Snow smiled over at her and Regina couldn't help the way her lips tilted up in response.

"How's the father doing?" Zelena inquired, startling Regina and looking a little too curious for her comfort.

"Oh well, umm," Snow stammered, but Regina cut her off.

"He's great." She smiled widely, and the younger woman had the good grace to look chastened.

"Well, Mary Margaret was telling me earlier about what happened in this curse, losing your adopted son is… well, it's tragic." Regina opened her mouth to speak, but the redhead went on, "Look, I -I don't mean to pry, but she did express some anxiety about what you're going through."

Regina shot a glare at Snow. "You're talking about my life to perfect strangers behind my back?"

"Regina, we're missing a year of memories in the Enchanted Forest. We suddenly find ourselves in Storybrooke, and you're about to have a baby. It's all a bit disconcerting," Snow defended. "I think it's best to just get these anxieties out in the open."

"My anxieties or yours?" Regina questioned.

Zelena cut in. "Feelings, especially those we keep bottled up, can affect a pregnancy just as much as diet and exercise. Look, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that, if you've got any fears at all about any of this, it's best to just get it out - into the open."

"I don't…" Regina started, but then stopped, feeling overwhelmed and backed into a corner. It made her especially defensive, and the baby inside kicked, beginning to get fractious sensing Regina's emotions. She took a deep breath, and placing a hand on her stomach and rubbing over her child gently, she continued. "Look, I did not lose my son; he's still here. He just doesn't remember me, but he will as soon as we break this curse. No one knows heartache quite like me; I'm quite used to it to let it affect me  _or_ my pregnancy. I have no fears. The baby and I are just fine."

There was a moment of silence then a happy smile broke over Zelena's face. "Well, cheers to that, then. Mary-Margaret was right about you. You're very strong, very  _resilient_."

Regina studied the woman, her eyes narrowing, an uneasy feeling prickling down her spine. The way she had said "resilient," as though it was some sort of  _requirement_ , sent a thread of thought into Regina's mind. Something about that word and the way Zelena said it was familiar...Shaking the feeling aside for now, she realized the time. "Well, I'm sorry, but I'm running late."

Zelena stood. "We should just let you get to it, then. It was wonderful to meet you, Madam Mayor."

Getting to her feet with as much dignified grace as she could, and with a little assist from Snow, Regina held out her hand. "It was nice to meet you, too, Zelena."

Zelena's grasp was firm and cold as she replied, "Pleasure's all mine."

Regina felt a frown settle on her lips as they left the house. The temperature was comfortable, perhaps even a bit warm, in her home, and they'd been sitting there for several minutes. Why was Zelena's hand so cold then?

* * *

"The ice cream good?" Regina smiled down at Henry as they walked along the path by the pond. It was cool out, but Henry never let anything get in his way when it came to eating ice cream.

"Delicious. My mom used to take me for gelato in Little Italy, but this is just as good." He smiled back. "How's yours?"

Regina hummed appreciatively as she took another bite from her own bowl. She'd gotten three scoops of Chunky Monkey. Normally one scoop of sugar-free sherbet was all she would allow herself, and that in itself, was a rarity. Apparently her baby was a big fan of chocolate chunks. "Well, Storybrooke's got its own charms, though I know it must seem quaint compared to the big city."

The young boy's shoulders rose and fell. "It's nice, actually. New York's great, but there's so many people, it can make you feel…" he trailed off, and she could tell he was looking for just the right word.

Knowing her son the way that she did, Regina offered, "Alone?"

Henry laughed. "Yeah."

"Mm." Regina nodded, taking another scoop of ice cream.

"Yeah."

"That's the best part of a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It's like…" She thought about how much things had changed and how life seemed now before finishing, "It's like a big family."

Henry stopped walking and turned to her. "Can I tell you something?"

His look was serious so she gave him her full attention. "Sure," Regina said, tossing her empty ice cream bowl into the trash beside them.

"I don't think it was just the case that brought my mom to Storybrooke," the young boy admitted to her.

Regina was wary of where he was going with this, and was not wanting to give too much away, so she adopted a look of impassive innocence. "Uh, what do you mean?"

Ever so blunt, her son answered, "I think she wanted to get out of New York for a while."

Regina tilted her head in concern. "W-why do you think that?"

"My mom's boyfriend, his name was Walsh. He proposed to her."

"Oh." Her eyes widened, a bit.  _This was interesting_ , she thought.

"And two days later, she's taking me out of school for some job in Maine. She wouldn't take a job in  _Queens_ if it meant I'd miss school," he emphasised with a bit of teenage exasperation.

She smiled at that. It was reassuring to know Emma was so diligent when it came to Henry's education. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know," he said, giving a slight shrug. "But I doubt we'd be here if she said yes."

"And how do you feel about it? Did you like him, this…" Regina hated the very idea of a man she didn't know fathering up to Henry and it was with a bit of hostility, she finished, "Walsh?"

"He was a little...intense, but I liked how happy he made her. Plus, it might be nice having more than two place settings during the holidays."

Regina couldn't help but smile at that. "I think one day you'll have more family than you'll know what to do with."

He tilted his head and returned her smile. "You think so?"

She could have laughed. "I really do." They started walking again, and suddenly her breath caught in her throat, feeling a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen. Oh, no, Regina thought knowing enough about pregnancy to know what this meant. Another pain ripped through her and she gasped, doubling over.

"What?" Henry came to a halt. Putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Regina tried to breath, but the pain was preventing her from focusing. "I'm not sure." She took a deep breath and gasped again.

"Okay, come here and sit down," Henry instructed, helping her to the bench beside them just before her knees began to buckle. "I'll go get help."

Regina shook her head. "No, I'll be fine…"

"No, don't move." Henry told her. "I'll be right back."

Nodding, she let Henry go. Not because she thought she needed help, but because she thought if she were alone she could focus and get through it on her own. After a moment the pain started to lessen. Just when she thought it was okay to sit up, a few minutes later, she felt another pain, and it was just as intense, if not more. She forced herself to hold onto the arm of the bench, even though she felt like she would surely rip it off. After a moment, the pain passed, and she took a deep breath. Breathe, she told herself. Closing her eyes, she let a breath pass through her lips, another, and then another. She could do this.

"Milady, are you injured?"

Regina opened her eyes and was startled to see a pair of worried bright blue eyes looking into hers. Henry had gone for help, and now a man was kneeling beside her, his hand on her arm. She begun to relax a bit and was convinced the pain wouldn't occur again. "No… yes… I'm fine."

"Are you in labor?" his soft accented voice asked, gently.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, right before another contraction ripped through her. Sitting up, she hissed as her hands wrapped protectively around her stomach. Tears gathered in her eyes as she quietly admitted, "It's too soon for this. I'm not ready."

She immediately saw the concern cloud his features. Bringing his hand up, he rested it over hers, and she couldn't help feeling a sense of comfort from his touch. "How far along are you?"

"I-" She met his gaze. She should know this, but she didn't. She'd been so busy and so preoccupied with everything that she hadn't had time to go see Whale. Now that she sat there regret and guilt washed over her. She made a promise to her baby, and she couldn't even do that right. Tears once again filled her eyes, realizing she'd failed before she ever got started.

"Milady." The man in front of her took her hand that rested against his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It could be false labor, you know. It's fairly common. Try not to worry just yet, alright?"

Regina had to grasp his hand with both of hers when another pain hit her. This one was worse than the others. She held her breath and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she concentrated on the pain and isolated it. Finally, after a few minutes of huffing and puffing, with the encouraging words of a stranger and the reassuring grip of his warm hand,, she was able to get her breath again.

She could hear his voice close to her ear. "Just breathe."

"Easy for you to say," she bit out through clenched teeth.

"Can I get someone for you? Your husband?"

Regina all but shouted, "I don't have a husband!"

"Alright... Okay, that's all right," he soothed. "Of course you don't. We should get you to the hospital. Can you stand?"

She looked up at him through narrowed eyes. "What? I don't even know you."

"Well, if you'd like I could leave you here on the bench..." His words trailed off, and Regina followed his gaze, which wandered over to Henry, who stood next to a small boy not more than four or five years old. "However, I'd be setting a bad example for my son, and I cannot let him grow up thinking he can leave behind damsels in distress, now can I?" Her eyes flicked back to the man as he beseeched, "Please, milady, allow me to escort you to the hospital."

She looked up at him and then at the boy. The pleading look in his crystal blue eyes coupled with the worried expression on Henry's face brought her defenses crashing down. She certainly couldn't get to the hospital by herself. "Fine, but I didn't ask for your help."

The man chuckled. It was a deep rich thing that made Regina wonder if the sensation of butterflies was the baby or her.

"A simple ' _thank_   _you_ ' would suffice."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Regina lay in the hospital bed watching Dr. Whale as he reviewed her medical records. Once she got to the hospital, Whale insisted on running just about every medical test known to this realm, wanting to make up for nearly nine months of missed prenatal care. While Regina appreciated his concern her baby's health, she couldn't help but feel completely useless lying in a hospital bed when there was a wicked witch on the loose just waiting to pounce.

Regina sighed heavily as Whale 'hmm'ed' and 'mmm'ed' over the paperwork in front of him, and she huffed, "How much longer is this going to take?"

He raised both eyebrows in a look of disbelief and spoke to her in a strong voice, "You nearly escaped preterm labor. You need  _rest_ , Mayor Mills. I suggest you get comfortable because you'll be staying overnight."

She scowled. "You can't be serious."

"Oh, I am. While I could honestly say you wouldn't deserve every ounce of pain brought on with childbirth, I cannot say I would risk the life of someone innocent of your evil deeds. The stress, in combination with constant time on your feet, is progressing your pregnancy a tad too fast for my liking. By my estimates, you have a few more weeks left, but at the rate you're going, you're not going to make it through the week. For the next twenty four hours, Your Majesty, you will stay in that bed."

Regina frowned, her brows lowering dangerously over her eyes. Whale snatched a bottle from the nearby treatment table, and coming over to the chair beside her bed, ordered, "Lift up your shirt."

Regina's eyebrows rose into her hairline. "Excuse me?"

Whale rolled his eyes at her. Gesturing to the screen in front of him, he took the doppler from the Sonoscape machine and held it up. "Would you like to see your baby or not?" Though trying to be firm and distant, a slow smile spread across his features.

Tears pooled in Regina's eyes, but she pushed them back as she exposed her abdomen. Whale poured a clear, cold substance onto her belly before he rubbed the Doppler through the gel. He then reached over to switch on the screen monitor.

At first it was hard for Regina to make out anything, but then the doctor moved the instrument just to the right and her baby's profile filled the screen. Regina's heart clenched, and the tears she pushed away earlier fell unchecked down her cheeks in hot streaks.

"Do you want to know the sex?"

Regina shook her head. She didn't need to be told. Her baby was a girl. Her magic gave her a sense of the baby, enough to tell her that at least.

Whale began fiddling with a few more things, and then suddenly the room filled with a gentle thumping sound. "And there's the heartbeat. 168 beats per minute. Perfect."

Regina choked back a sob, covering her mouth with her hand to block the wide smile through her tears. "That's her?"

"None other."

There was no doubt about it. There, as large as life on the screen, was her small baby within, her heart beating strongly. Regina's hand automatically came to rest over her lower abdomen. A million thoughts raced through her mind, but she voiced her first concern, "Is she healthy?"

"As a horse… as the saying goes. And surprisingly, considering your lifestyle," Whale cut off when he caught Regina's sharp look. "Er, your diet, which you will have to modify over the next few weeks if you want the baby to continue to full term."

Finding her voice, Regina asked. "If everything's perfect, what do I need to modify?"

"I would like you to cut out caffeine of any kind, have regular meals –  _full_ meals, and I want you to try to get some more rest, especially in these next few days. Perhaps take a few naps?" Regina scowled at him, causing him to give her a stern look of impatience. "Listen to your body, it knows what's best for the baby."

Regina let out a breath. "Oh, is that all?"

"For the moment," Whale got up from his seat and handed Regina a towel. "I'd like you here once a week until you deliver, and of course, if you have any concerns or problems, I am only a quick drive away."

She rolled her eyes, and he then turned to leave. As he reached the door, she muttered a cursory, "Thank you,  _Doctor_ ," to which he nodded before turning once again and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

For the next few hours as she sat in the hospital bed, Regina let her mind wander to all the roles she had played in her life. The Evil Queen had been portrayed for more years than any of them, but the role of mother was without a doubt the most important. Rubbing slow circles over her belly as she stared out at the forest, the mother-to-be took up residence, leaving the Evil Queen unceremoniously shoved aside.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Snow marched into her hospital room unannounced, carrying the biggest bouquet of flowers Regina had ever seen. Standing at the end of her bed, partially hidden by flowers and foliage, Regina could still see Snow's eyes looking at her hopefully, and she shook her head and muttered, "You never do anything in halves, do you?" She couldn't quite help the half-smile that quirked up her lips.

Snow smiled proudly. "Not that I'm aware of. How are you feeling?"

"It was just muscle spasms, I'm fine."

"Henry told us all about it. We were really worried." Snow sat on the edge of her bed. "Who's the guy?"

Regina blinked at her. "Excuse me?"

"The man that brought Henry home…" Snow began, shifting to face her fully. "The one that helped you."

"Oh, him." Regina shrugged and picked at an invisible string on her white hospital blanket. "I never caught his name."

A grin spread across the former princess's face. "He's kinda cute, huh?"

Regina scrunched up her nose. "He smelled like forest."

Just when the younger woman was about to say something else, the rest of the gang wandered in.

Regina caught Emma's eyes. "How's Henry? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's tough. Don't worry." Emma sent her a smirk. "You didn't scar him too horribly. How about you, you okay?"

Regina nodded. Tired of being coddled, she sat up adopting her best Madame Mayor face, said, "I'm fine, now what's going on?"

David jumped right in and began to fill in Regina about his time earlier that day in the forest and how he had to fight off a demon who took on the image himself.

"Any particular reason she would send a demon who looks like you?" Hook's brow furrowed.

"No idea." David shook his head. "It was just there, wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears."

Regina stopped him. "It knew your deepest fears?"

"Yeah, things I never told anyone, not even Mary Margaret. It wasn't until I admitted them that I was able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword."

Regina wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer but asked, "Where is it? Your sword?"

He looked around the room at everyone. "That's the strange part. After I killed it, the hilt, it disappeared."

"Well, what's that mean, then?" Hook wondered aloud.

Regina swallowed. This was worse than she suspected. "When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out. When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it."

He looked back at her. "Then why'd it disappear?"

She met his stare, but bit her lip before answering. "It didn't disappear. She took it."

"Hang on." Emma stepped up to the bed. "The Wicked Witch stole his courage?"

"Well, a symbol of it, at least," Regina clarified. "And symbols can be powerful totems."

It was then that Whale stepped in, and looking around the room at everyone, he sighed. "Okay everyone, I hate to break up the party, but my patient needs some rest, so unless you're in a hospital bed, the rest of you Avengers need to go."

"I'm fine," Regina protested.

"Well I'm afraid your doctor disagrees," Whale replied, holding the door open with a clear look of invitation for all those not in a hospital bed to vacate.

"I need to get back to Henry, anyways," Emma said.

Snow gave Regina a sympathetic smile. "Get some rest. I'll come back tomorrow."

"Listen, I'm…"

"Fine, yes we all know." Snow interrupted, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze before releasing it. "It doesn't mean we can't be worried."

Regina watched them go, and after the door was closed, she sank back into the bed exhausted. So much for her pregnancy not slowing her down. Closing her eyes, she finally gave in and slept.

* * *

Hearing a noise, Regina looked up sleepily from her bed. She looked towards the door. Light flooded into her room, and as her eyes adjusted, they widened in shock as the form of the man from the park came into the room. Her head fell back on the pillows. "No."

He stepped into the room and smiled. "No, what?"

"You're not." Regina met his eyes, then dropped them as he held out a bouquet of wildflowers.

"Not what? Bringing you flowers? Well, I do believe that I am." He smiled, looking down at her.

She sat up a little. "Why?"

He tilted his head curiously at her. "Because I can?"

She shook her head. "How did you get in here?"

"Through the door." He gestured behind him.

Regina glared at him. "Are you always so infuriating?"

"Are  _you_  always so argumentative?" he countered, giving her a half smile that showed off those equally infuriating dimples.

"Do you make it a habit of hitting on pregnant women?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"As I am unfamiliar with the term, "hitting on," I'm going to say, no," he said, moving to sit beside her. "However, if you're meaning, do I make a point on checking up on stubborn, feisty, beautiful women whom I've been obliged to rescue, then yes, by all means."

She had to bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "I didn't catch your name?"

"Robin, Robin of Locksley." He held out his hand, and she looked down at it.

She slowly reached out. "The thief."

He took her hand in his, but didn't release it. "Well, since we're tossing labels around, aren't you technically known as the 'Evil Queen'?"

A thrill ran through her as he placed his other hand over hers, and she looked up. She glowered at him. "I prefer Regina."

His cocked his head to the side and studied her a moment before he nodded, releasing her hand, and his voice softened. "So, how are you?"

Regina had to look away at the intensity in his eyes. "We're both fine, thank you."

Robin smiled gently at her. "Yes, well, think nothing of it. I was only too happy to help."

Their gazes held for a heartbeat, and then she turned and looked out the window. After a moment, he sighed, "Well, I better let you get your rest."

Regina blinked back the sting of tears. Damn it, she wished she could successfully tamp down her emotions and control these uncharacteristic episodes of vulnerability. To cover her lapse, she gave him a soft smile, looked down at the flowers, and said quietly, "Thank you, again, for bringing me here and for the flowers."

"You're most welcome,  _Regina_." He squeezed her hand one final time and then reluctantly got up and headed for the door.

Her breath caught as he turned back to her, his gaze meeting hers before saying, "Sleep well."


	4. Quiet Souls

 

Two days later, Granny opened the front door to the closed diner, letting in Emma who was running late that morning. The old woman kindly, albeit somewhat reluctantly, let them use the empty restaurant to meet and discuss their next plan of action.

"If you want privacy, talk fast," she told them, walking around the counter on her way to the kitchen. Pouring a large glass of orange juice, she came back around the counter and over to the table in the middle of the room where Regina sat, eating a plate full of breakfast foods Granny had placed in front of her no sooner than she arrived. Placing the orange juice next to the former queen's plate, she barked, "We open in twenty, and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon."

Unused to people taking care of her, Regina sat in stunned silence as the older woman retreated to the back.

Hook spoke up, tearing Regina from her thoughts, "Is there any sign of our quarry?"

"I went all over that farmhouse and the land around it, nothing," Emma replied, grabbing a cup of coffee.

David looked around at everyone. "Well, now that the sun's up, we should hit every place Gold might go. His house, shop, his cabin…"

"Cause dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible?" Emma looked around for clarification but was met with blank stares. "We all saw Gold... He …"

Snow broke in, "Disappeared into nothingness… I know."

The pirate stepped forward. "I might have an inkling. When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back."

David quickly asked, "What? How?"

Hook answered, "He didn't know how. He just…" With a quick glance at Emma, he continues, "He missed his family, and he was desperate to find a way to return to this world. He believed that bringing his father back was the key."

Emma shook her head. "Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong, because while Gold might be alive and kicking, Neal is… he's…" Emma trailed off, clearly the Savior was losing her patience, as they all were. "We don't know what he is. We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke. No one's seen him since this new curse."

David assured her, "He's out there somewhere."

Regina, who had been silent during all this, spoke up, "With all due respect, we have bigger issues right now than who brought Gold back." She paused looking around at everyone before she continued. "The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement, for one.  _I_  want to know what the hell she was cooking up with him."

Hook responded with only a touch of sarcasm,"Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?"

David nodded in agreement. "He could tell us who the witch is. Maybe how to track her down?"

Deciding on her own plan of action, Regina stood up."I'm gonna head back to that farmhouse. It's possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or a special ingredient."

Concerned, Snow asked, "By yourself? You're supposed to be resting."

Regina shook her head in reply, adding a brisk, "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not fighting a witch, I'm just looking around."

Snow stood from the bar stool and grabbed her coat. "I'll go with you."

Regina sighed. "No, I'll be fine on my own. Besides, you don't even know what to look for."

Emma straightened, throwing Snow a 'drop it' look, to which Snow reluctantly gave in. "Just be careful."

The former queen smirked. She may be pregnant, but she still had her magic. "Well, she's the one who needs to be careful. She invaded my space. When I return the favor, I'm not pulling any punches."

Turning on her heel, Regina made her way to the door and missed as Snow called her name, but she had already left the diner before she could be stopped.

* * *

The arrow came almost out of nowhere, but she was ready for it. She heard it just as it was released. She could feel it as it moved toward her, sailing gracefully through the air, just before it met its mark.  _Just_. She moved, catching it easily in her hand. She gasped, not out of fright but out of anger. Who in the hell?

"Apologies, milady."

Regina's eyes widened, as she took in her would-be assassin, before they narrowed into her usual glare. " _You_."

He shook his head only slightly abashed as he walked toward her, flashing her an apologetic smile. "I thought you were the Wicked Witch."

Her anger started to dissipate somewhat, luckily enough for him. "And I thought you were a flying monkey."

"I do hope my mistake hasn't cost me my head," Bowing a bit, he finished, "Your Majesty."

She smothered a smile, relaxing a little. "I think I can let it slide this once. I am the one in your debt, after all."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she ignored the flip of her stomach in response. She looked down at his bow. "You think you can bring down the Wicked Witch with sticks?"

Following her gaze, he replied, "Well, I'm certainly going to try."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid we're too late. She's long gone."

He looked around them, studying the terrain. "Well, perhaps she left a trail."

His response brought her up short. She hadn't expected someone outside of her little group to be hunting the witch as well. "I was hoping the same thing."

Startling her once again, he told her, "Well, then you've got yourself a partner."

With a raised eyebrow and as she stepped around him, she replied, "I don't remember asking for one."

"You didn't, but I would be remiss if I let you go into that house all alone." He looked at her and waited until her eyes met his. "Especially while you carry a precious little one inside you."

She waved away his concern. "I know how to take care of myself."

"Of that I have no doubt, but you can never be too careful."

She looked at him in all seriousness. He was persistent; she had to give him that. "Just don't get in my way."

Smiling, he bite the inside of his cheek and stated, "I wouldn't dream of it."

Her tone softened, and she tilted her head. The expression seemed so familiar to her. "Have -have we met before?" Regina did an internal eye-roll at herself before clarifying, "I mean, before the other day at the park?"

"I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you." Her breath caught, as he smiled at her again. She couldn't help but feel she  _knew_  him. "Unless, of course, it was during that pesky year no one can recall," he said, offhandedly, walking towards the house. "All the more reason to find this witch, perhaps she can offer some insight into our lost memories."

* * *

"Nothing useful here." Regina mumbled. "Unfortunately."

Robin turned and gestured to the shelf behind him. "So, none of these contain magical properties?"

"Well, a good witch covers her tracks, but a  _better_  one can uncover them." Regina smirked, walking by Robin, a little closer than necessary, to the shelf that stood behind him. She scanned the items displayed. "We'll find her. Just be patient."

Robin turned and leaned back against the table. "You know, I've heard many stories about the great and terrible Evil Queen, but from this angle, the "evil" moniker seems somewhat of an overstatement. Bold and audacious, perhaps, but, um… not evil."

Regina smiled, as she listened with her back to him. The way he so easily separated the woman she was then from the woman she was now. That woman was not the person she was today, and somehow he knew that. When his eyes met hers, she could see it was not the evil queen he saw but just  _her_.

Just Regina.

She turned around to face him slowly. Despite it all, she wouldn't insult him by denying what she used to be."The name served me well. Fear is quite an  _effective_  tool."

His eyes locked with hers, and she watched enthralled, as they seemed to burn into hers. Filling her with such intensity she hadn't felt in a long time. They were both barely breathing as time seemed to stand still the closer he came. So close that she could feel the heat of him. Could feel the material of his jacket on her rounded belly. Smell the woodsy-outdoor scent that was uniquely  _him_. He stared at her for several heartbeats. Her lips parted expectantly, then right before she thought he was about to kiss her, he turned his face and reached for something behind her.

Regina straightened, she felt his breath on her neck, and a shiver ran down her spine. He was still  _so_ very close.

She swallowed.

"What about this?" he asked, his blue eyes met brown. "Is this magical?"

Though, he had what he reached for he never moved from her. Tearing her eyes away from his, she slowly turned her head to look at the bottle in his hand.

In a low voice she answered, "Not exactly. But it is a liquid that can conjure courage, give strength, or even act as a love potion of sorts." Regina chuckled at his look of intrigue and her own playfulness. My god she was actually  _flirting_  with him! "It's called whiskey, and, no, it's not magical, especially the next day."

A sly smile spread across his face with recognition. "Oh."

He reached for something that was again behind her and then took a step back holding up an empty glass.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to have a drink? Now?"

He shrugged smiling."Well,  _I'll_  have a drink anyway…" He sat the glass down and pushed back the sleeves of his jacket.

She took a deep breath as he turned his back to her pouring himself a drink. What was she doing? How could she let herself get even remotely this close to someone until she got her memories back? The father of her child was out there somewhere, and here she was flirting like a teenager with Robin Hood? She would have to put a stop to this until their memories were restored. Though, she was loath to admit it, he already stirred something inside her that she could not explain.

His voice jarred her from her thoughts as he continued on, unaware at her wondering mind. "The way I see it, in the last few days, I've survived a curse, woken up in an entirely new realm, and forgotten a year of my life. I'd say I've earned it. Wouldn't you?"

She put on a smile at his reasoning and looked at him as he turned back to face her. When he brought the glass up to his lips, the smile fell from hers.

A lion tattoo.

She sucked in her breath and put her hand on her stomach. Memories from long  _long_  ago came flooding back to her. Memories of a green fairy and a far off tavern.

" _You need love."_

" _You're gonna help me find another soulmate?"_

" _There he is. The guy with the lion tattoo."_

Alarmed, he lowered the glass. "Is something wrong?"

Regina's heart was hammering in her chest. She had to get out of there. She couldn't think.

Hell, she could barely breathe.

She pushed past him, making her way out of the house as fast as she could. She heard him call her name, but she never stopped. She couldn't. Pulling her car keys from her pocket, she was already outside and about to open the door to her car, but was stopped as she felt his hand on her arm.

"Regina, tell me please, are you alright?" Robin had captured her hand, although her back was still turned to him. When she still didn't say anything, he asked again, this time more gentle. "Have I offended you in some way?"

Regina looked down at the ground and then up at him again. She shook her head slowly, "No, I'm sorry. I'm just… tired. It's been a long couple of days."

He didn't know what he could say that would make this better. He was not sure what had scared her, but he could see it in her eyes that in that moment, she was terrified. It broke him to think that it was because of him. "Well, I apologize if I…"

"You didn't," She said, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her racing heart and the tears she held at bay. Telling herself to breathe. Just breathe. Promising herself she could cry once she was alone.

His voice was a whisper, but his concern he wore loudly in his eyes. "Are you going to be all right getting home?"

His genuine caring was nearly her undoing. She swallowed hard. "Yes, I'll be fine."

The others were easy to fool, but Robin somehow knew her far better than anyone in her life it seemed. The look in his eyes told her he would be hard to convince that all was well. The fact that she was keeping the knowledge of their fate from him made her very uncomfortable in her current state. What could she tell him? With everything so uncertain, the ramifications could be dire for both of them, and at the moment she just wasn't feeling that brave. One day, once their memories returned, could make all the difference, and it would also give her time to come to terms with this sudden drastic change in her circumstances. A baby that never should have been possible and finding her soul mate all in one week was more than she could handle at the moment with her emotions riding on the surface.

Her eyes drifted to the skyline, and she stared at the view. Storybrooke. Home. This wasn't quite the way she'd envisioned ever meeting him. In fact, it was a realm away from what she'd imagined. Not even in her wildest dreams would she have thought of this. She closed her eyes.

"Milady?"

She was jolted out of her reverie by his soft voice, and she looked up at him, hoping that he couldn't see that her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Robin."

"Please, just tell me you're alright?" He swallowed hard, controlling his own emotions. "I don't think I could take it if I let you leave when you're obviously very upset. Is it the baby?"

She turned and leaned against the car. When she answered her voice was so low he almost didn't hear her reply. "No, it's not the baby."

He glanced at her, keeping her hand in his, he gripped it tighter. "But you...you're not really all right, are you, Regina?"

She snapped a look at him but gave him a gentle smile despite her watery eyes. She should have known that he wouldn't be so easily fooled. "I am all right, really. I just remembered something... unexpected. And yes, it did upset me, but I just needed some air."

He took a deep breath. "I didn't mean... I... ." That muscle in his jaw was jumping, and she knew he was trying hard to contain his concern.

Laying her hand on his arm, she reassured him. "Robin, I promise it's nothing you did, just surprising. And I will tell you soon, just don't ask me to explain now. Please?"

Robin frowned and then relenting to her nodded. His eyes never leaving hers. He leaned closer, and she could smell his scent. She couldn't explain it, but she had to fight the irrational temptation to wrap her arms around him and bury herself in his neck. His brow was furrowed, and she had to clench her fist to stop herself from reaching up and smoothing over the lines of his face.

He held her eyes for a long moment then looked down.

Robin turned back towards her. "Alright then, but I hope you would allow me to check on you later?"

Regina huffed a laugh. "You don't give up easily, do you?"

"Not where you're concerned, milady."

"Well, I'm making apple turnovers tonight. I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have one or two left over, if you're lucky enough to stop by in time."

"Breakfast with the Queen it is then. Around mid morning? Allow for you and the little one to get sufficient rest?"

Regina nodded. "That sounds wonderful." She straightened up, and he opened her door for her.

He pulled his other hand from hers. "I'll let you go then."

"Thank you," she whispered. She could still feel the heat from his hand on hers. She was not sure if she was relieved or disappointed that he was letting her go.

He touched the small of her back as she got into her car and gave her a sad smile as she left.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she drove home.


	5. It's Not Easy

 

Neal was dead. How was that for cruel reality? Granted, Regina knew she couldn't have stopped it, no one could have. However, it was just another reminder that their situation was quickly becoming more and more serious the longer they were without their memories. If she had any choice in the matter, she'd find Zelena herself and end this once and for all. Yet, Whale's words kept echoing in her head. " _The stress, in combination with constant time on your feet, is progressing your pregnancy a tad too thin for my liking."_ She knew he was right. If she didn't take better care, she'd risk putting her daughter's life in danger, and there was no way Regina would jeopardize her baby. Her tiny daughter, who by all accounts should never have been able to be conceived in the first place, along with Henry were the only two people she cared about right now.

With Zelena out'ed as Emma had put it, Regina felt as if she was now the one with the upper hand. At least Greenie hadn't been back to see her. The thought that the witch even wanted to deliver her baby sent a chill through her. There was something about Zelena that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but whatever it was wasn't good. How that witch was able to get past her blood spell baffled her.

Curled up in front of the fire in her living room, Regina placed her hand on the large curve of her stomach and gently rubbed the tiny feet which were jabbing her in an attempt to soothe her daughter, who was quite in tune with her mother's emotions. As hard as she tried over the last few days, Regina often found herself wallowing in her own misery and plotting revenge against personal affronts she'd endured over the last year, or at least the personal attacks she imagined, since the last year of her life had been cruelly wiped from her memory.

An angry growl rumbled through Regina's chest, and then an abrupt laugh escaped her mouth for what seemed like the unpteenth time as of late. It had been so since she let the idea of true love and hope sneak its way back into her heart. It had been forever since she'd given up on the thought that she'd be worthy enough to find it again, not that she thought she was worthy now. She'd done so many horrible things since that fateful day in the stables when she'd only been a child, young and in love.

It wasn't lost to her how ridiculous it was that after all this time, fate had caught up with her. That of all the possible moments, she'd finally know the face of the man with the lion tattoo. Robin Hood. The Prince of Thieves, no less.

Regina knew her true love had been out there. Her mother claimed to have found him, only to inform Regina that he was a  _married, moralizing sap_. It only slightly amused her that for years she'd been unknowingly hunting down the very man she was destined to be with. Wanted posters had been distributed and decorated across her kingdom for his capture, nailed to the trees in his precious Sherwood Forest.

"Dead or alive," she'd said.

Her soulmate.

Regina sighed and continued to rub her stomach, thankful that was in another time and another realm.

She should have been happy and overjoyed that he was here, that she'd found him, that he was no longer bound to someone else, but, of course, there was yet another obstacle in her way, besides her obvious pregnancy – a Wicked Witch to be specific. As curious as she was about how and what the man with the lion tattoo was doing here, her curiosity would have to wait. Regina swore to protect her baby, and that took precedence above everything else.

The baby chose that moment to move around restlessly, and Regina sighed. She moved her hand over the spot on her belly and began whispering words of reassurance to her daughter. She was still amazed that this was happening, that she could have this. As overjoyed as she was at being pregnant, she couldn't help feeling an emptiness in her chest, a hollow sadness, and it was that feeling that made her know something or  _someone_ was missing.

Her mind immediately brought up an image of Robin, and she instantly hated herself for so easily equating him into the picture. But she did, and whether Regina was willing to admit it or not, she'd already put him in that place marked  _father_.

She shifted a little in her seat as her cell phone buzzed beside her. She picked it up quickly. Because of her worry for Henry's safety, she kept it close to her. It was Snow White informing her of the times for the funeral and wake. After a moment, she ended the call and pushed herself up, heading upstairs to her bedroom to get ready for the day.

Stepping into her closet, she gently thumbed through the new set of maternity dresses before pulling one from a hanger. Black had always been her color of choice, but today it weighed heavy on her. Today it felt appropriate, because today was Neal's funeral.

* * *

Regina knew he was there. Even without looking, she could feel him standing just a few steps behind her. Their morning had started in tragedy and grief, and any other plans they'd had were put off. Robin had tried to apologize, but she shook her head and told him there was nothing to say. He'd nodded somewhat reluctantly, and made her promise that there'd be a rain check sometime soon. To which she agreed.

On her short walk from her car to the graveside, Belle had surprised Regina by asking her if she minded some company. The young woman not waiting for a reply had stepped into pace with her, and with a glance over her shoulder, Belle began to tell Regina that Robin and Neal had been friends back in the Enchanted Forest. She also told how Robin and his son helped get Neal to Neverland, and in essence save Henry.

Glancing back, Regina could see the sadness in Robin's eyes. He'd lost a friend. She felt a pull to him, to offer him comfort and to thank him for his assistance - however small- in saving her son. She could feel his eyes on her, and as she met his deep blues, she'd never felt so drawn to someone in her whole life.

But she couldn't let herself go to him.

Not yet anyway.

* * *

Regina was lost in her thoughts later that day at Granny's Diner, as she watched the man at the counter down from her. His eyes crinkling in amusement as someone spoke beside him, and then as he turned to speak to Granny.

She closed her eyes as Tinkerbell spotted her from across the room and walked over to her.  _Please,_ Regina thought.  _Don't._

Tinkerbell's eyes glanced in the direction Regina had been staring most of the afternoon, and Regina knew before Tink could speak what she was going to say. "It's the lion tattoo," the fairy smiled brightly, making the former queen sigh. "It's what was prophesied. He's your soulmate."

Regina's eyes never left Robin, never left the black ink just above his wrist as she whispered an impatient, "I know. I saw it yesterday."

Tinkerbell dropped her chin in a pout. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Well, right now I have better things to do than to gossip about boys," Regina told her in a hushed whisper, wishing she wasn't having this conversation right now.

While her attention was on keeping her friend quiet, she didn't notice immediately when the man in question stood and came over behind them. That is, until he cleared his throat.

"Care for a drink?" he asked her. "The old woman, Granny, assured me this is your preferred beverage of choice."

He set a cup of hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick on the counter beside her. Regina threw the old woman a look of unamused disdain, but Granny only smirked, unaffected by her withering glare.

Robin looked at her and bit his lip. "I, uh, I do hope I didn't upset you. I would've walked with you, but your friend seemed rather keen to see you..." his voice trailed off.

Belle. She did an internal eye roll.  _Hardly a friend_ , she wanted to say, but he didn't need to know that and this wasn't the time or the place for such conversations. She could tell that he was still concerned for her, and her heart flipped a bit. Not sure of how to respond in front of the fairy, she settled for changing the subject. Gesturing to Tinkerbell as she said, "Robin Hood, Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell, Robin Hood."

The charming outlaw offered her his hand, which the little fairy enthusiastically accepted.

"I've been wanting to meet you for a very long time." Tink said with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Regina nudged the fairy with her elbow. She was going to have a chat with that damn gnat later, but for now she focused on the man in front of her. Before the fairy could say anything else, Regina replied, "No, you didn't upset me. Miss French just needed to talk."

"Ah, well, um... I'm still sorry." Somewhere behind him his name was called. "If you'll excuse me then."

Regina watched him go, and a feeling of guilt spread over her.

Tink turned to her with wide, searching eyes. "What was all that about? Are you pushing him away again? Didn't you learn anything from the last time you screwed this up? If you had been open to the possibility of love when you first saw him, maybe your life wouldn't have turned out so..."

Regina's anger rose as the fairy searched for the right words to sum up her life. She didn't need this right now. She didn't need to be judged. She'd done enough of that herself lately. Deciding she was up for a fight, she asked, "So  _what_? How did my life turn out?"

Tink stepped back affronted. "Why am I even bothering?"

Now just as angry with herself as she was with the entire situation, Regina raised her voice to a harsh whisper. "Can't you see I have a bit of a situation right now?"

"So?"

Regina was floored by the fairy. "What do you mean, 'so?' Am I supposed to ignore the fact that my baby has a father somewhere out there? That I can't remember who he is, or whether or not he's even still alive? How do I know if he's even here in Storybrooke, or if it wasn't just some random fling in the Enchanted Forest? How do I know if he even meant anything to me, or if I meant anything to him?"

The fairy blinked curiously at her, and a sad, little smile inched its way across her lips. "Regina, after all this time, don't you think…" Tink trailed off and shook her head.

"Think what?" Regina snapped, mistaking the fairy's pained expression for pity.

"After all this time, you still haven't remembered what I told you? Regina, love, you need love," Tink was adamant and unrelenting. "You're soulmates, Regina. How do you know it's not him?" She said, directing her gaze back to Robin who was sitting at the far end Granny's counter.

Regina paused, but soon she began to shake her head because it couldn't be that simple. Nothing in her life had ever been that simple. Despite the feeling inside her that screamed at her to listen... No, she wasn't that lucky. "What? No, he isn't. He couldn't be."

She looked to the other side of the diner to see Robin, looking very forlorn as he sat at the other end of the bar. Every so often his eyes would find their way back to her before looking back down at his drink, swirling the golden liquid around in his glass.

At that moment, Robin's gaze met the fairy's, and Tink smiled. Robin's look lightened a little, and Tinkerbell thought, " _Isn't the father of her baby... What a load of pixie dust."_

"How do you know? I mean, Regina, there's got to be a reason he's here now, and…"

But whatever Tinkerbell was going to say was cut short as the door to the diner burst open to reveal the woman whom Snow introduced Regina to only three days before. The woman who quite possibly could have delivered her baby. The Wicked Witch, Zelena. The thought gave her chills.

"My condolences, I'm so sorry I missed the funeral, but I could never pass up a wake." Zelena smiled widely at everyone. "Oh, did I miss the speeches? Shall I make one? I mean, I am, after all, responsible."

Emma stood visibly angry and started for the witch, but Snow caught her daughter by the arm, preventing for from getting to her. "Emma, no. Too many people will get hurt."

Zelena held up the Dark One's dagger. "Listen to your mother," she mocked. "She's right. Anyone who tries to interfere with my plan is gonna have to deal with the Dark One."

Regina narrowed her eyes at the redhead, her anger building. "Why are you here?"

The witch's cold crystal blue eyes locked with hers. "Now that my cover's blown, I can finally pay another visit to my little sister."

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Why, you, of course, Regina."

What? Regina, understandably taken back, blinked at the witch. No, that wasn't possible, Regina's mind reasoned. "I'm an only child."

"Cora lied to you, Regina. I'm your sister. Half, if you want to get technical," she all but spat. Turning, Zelena looked around at everyone in the diner before her attention came back to Regina with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "And, by the looks of things, I'll be an auntie soon."

Robin stood up from the bar stool and took a step toward the witch. "Don't go any closer to her."

Zelena looked at Robin, and then her eyes widened in undisguised mirth. "Ooo, who's this?" she asked, glancing at Regina before her attention went back to Robin. "Don't worry, love. I'm not here for the baby. Not today, anyway."

Regina spoke up, distracting Zelena's attention away from Robin. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

The witch turned back to her. "Oh, well, you shouldn't. It's a lot to swallow, which is why I've brought a gift to help."

Regina scoffed. "I don't want a gift from you."

"Oh, but you shall have it," Zelena said, menacingly creeping toward her. "You see, my gift to you is this sad, sad day. Use it to dig into our past, Regina. You need to learn the truth, and you must believe it. We'll meet again tonight to talk. Say, sundown."

"And then what?" Regina asked.

"Oh, for now I just want to see you admit the truth, but once that precious baby is born, well, then…" Zelena finished in a deadly voice, "Then I'll destroy you."

There were very few things that truly frightened Regina, and a witch with an over-inflated ego was not one of them. "This isn't the wild west."

"No, dear, it's the wicked west, and I want everyone to be there to see the Evil Queen face the cold hard truth."

Regina straightened her shoulders confidently and crossed her arms. "I already know the truth. Only one of us is delusional here."

"Just keep telling yourself that, dear. One of us - is about to make history. See you tonight, sis." She said with a smirk before she turned and left, leaving a gaping crowd behind her.

* * *

"And you're sure Cora never said anything about her?" David asked, as they all sat around the counter, not long after the Wicked Witch had left.

Regina took a deep breath. How many times was she going to have to say it? Maybe this time she should phrase it another way for them all to understand. "I think I would remember if my mother told me she had a love child with a scarecrow."

"It doesn't matter if Zelena is your sister or not. She wants you dead. Any idea why?" Emma asked, sounding as upset and impatient as Regina felt.

Frustrated, Regina said,  _again_ , "I never even met her before today."

Emma deadpanned, "Doesn't mean you didn't do something to piss her off."

"You did manage to step on a lot of toes back in our world," Tink added.

Regina sneered at them. "Well, none of them were green."

"Then there's the missing year. Maybe you did something to her then," Granny said, butting in from the behind the counter.

Regina had about had it. "Stick to the lasagna, lady," she growled up at her, before she slowly pushed herself out of her seat and stood up at the counter, grabbing her jacket. "It's starting to sound an awful lot like you're all on her side."

"Where are you going?" Snow called after her.

"To find out exactly what this witch thinks I did to her." Regina replied, walking out the door with Emma and Snow hot on her heels.

* * *

Tossing open another chest, Regina rifled through its contents, searching for any clue into her mother's past, any sign that what Zelena was saying could be true. Her hand reached in one last time and her fingertips grazed a folded piece of paper.

As she held it up, she suddenly remembered. She didn't need to read it to know what it said, however, she couldn't help but open it. To stare at the words that told her everything she realized she already knew.

"Regina, did you find something?" Snow's voice called from somewhere behind her.

"A… a letter."

Emma's curious voice asked, "What's it say?"

Regina schooled her features as best she could. The bitter truth of the words in the letter rolled like razor blades through her mind. She refused to let them see the sharp wedge of disappointment to a mortal depth. "Zelena is my sister."

"Regina, what is…?" Snow started.

"Nothing," Regina said, cutting Snow off and straightening up. "Don't worry about it. It's my fight. I've got it handled."

Without another word, she turned and walked out.

* * *

A gentle breeze ruffled Regina's hair and coat as she sat on a large fallen tree looking over the forest. Taking a deep cleansing breath of crisp air, she opened the piece of paper in her hand from the vault, reading it once again. Though it was known by heart, now the words held a completely different meaning than before.

Just as she began to read the words upon it, a twig snapped somewhere behind her, and she turned toward the sound. A fireball erupted in her palm, already on edge from the appearance of the Wicked Witch. She looked, and her guard dropped almost instantly, looking into the eyes of none other than Robin, who was lowering his crossbow.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Robin's amused voice told her, and she turned her back to him.

Of course he was there. She wouldn't be surprised if Snow had called him. "Did the Charming's send you to give me a pep talk? Cause I don't do well with pep talks."

Folding the letter quickly, she shoved it in her jacket pocket.

"No, nothing of the sort," he replied coming over to sit beside her. "After Zelena's threat, I decided to patrol the woods in case she decided to build the ranks of her simian army." He glanced at her then, as he took off his gloves. "How are you holding up?"

Regina sniffed. "I'm not a flying monkey, if that's what you mean."

He grinned, and she couldn't help notice the way his eyes crinkled at the sides or the way his dimples appeared when he smiled. She looked away.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's in that letter you've been staring at?"

She feigned innocence. "What letter?"

"This one," he said, holding it up in the air between them.

Regina looked at him in surprised disbelief, her hand flying to check her pocket for her letter, but it was gone. How in the hell?

As if in answer to her thoughts Robin said, "I'm a pickpocket by trade. I spent many years learning how to rob from magicians."

She glared and leaned toward him. "You're lucky I'm saving my strength for that witch."

He leaned closer to her in return. "I think, deep down, you actually want to talk about what's in here."

Regina looked at him. His thoughtfulness and uncanny ability to read her mind was the pin that burst her bubble of anger, and she was overcome by the untimely and uncharacteristic urge to cry. Swallowing past the burning lump in her throat, she gave him a tight smile in the hope that he wouldn't notice her precarious emotional state, but there was little chance of that. Still she was determined not to show it, and adopting an air of contempt, she questioned, "And what makes you think you know me so well?"

"Well, for one thing, I'd be charred to a crisp by now if you didn't," he told her, the corners of his mouth tipping into a smile.

Amused by his candor, she smiled. "True."

He returned her smile, and her stomach flipped. She blamed the sensation once again on the baby.

"So, can I read it?"

She sighed, kicking the grass. "I'm not stopping you."

Unfolding the paper, he took a breath before he began,  _"Cora, dear, I finally got my hands on your firstborn. Never thought I'd find her. Did you? Now I know why. She's the most powerful sorceress I've ever encountered, even more powerful than you…"_ he paused for a moment, reading the next words silently and looking up at the woman beside him. He felt the words as he said them to her,  _"Stunning in every way."_  Robin closed the letter. "Rather complementary, I'd say. Why is this troubling you?"

She squinted as bright flashes of late afternoon sunlight strobe through gaps in the treetops and in the spaces between the broad trunks; she studied them without really seeing them. Lost in her thoughts, as her mind replayed all the times she could remember going to it, studying the ink so thoughtfully scripted. "I've seen that letter a hundred times before. In my darkest moments, I'd go to it for comfort, for solace, for a boost when I needed it, because I... because I always thought it was about me."

Taking a deep breath, he sighed in sober understanding. How was it, that this beautiful amazing creature beside him only found her self-worth in words on a piece of old parchment? "It's about Zelena."

"Rumplestiltskin thinks she's more powerful than I am," she said, defeatedly.

He leaned toward her, indignant frustration evident in his expression at the sound of Rumple's name. "Why care what that imp thinks?"

Her eyes met his. "Because if the man who taught me everything I know about magic thinks she is stronger than I am, then there is no way I can win this fight."

Robin sighed deeply. He couldn't explain the irrational fierce need to protect the woman before him, but he knew he had to try. Robin studied her for a moment before deciding to plunge ahead with his concerns for her. "Must you really do this now?"

With sadness in her eyes, she answered, "I don't have a choice."

Becoming more frustrated, he said, "There is always a choice. If it's you she wants, I can hide you..."

Losing her patience, she cut him off and replied, "It won't work, she'll just find me, and she can put people I care about in harm's way. I have no choice but to face her."

She saw the hurt look in his eyes, and her hands itched to rub the worry from his brow.

Calmly for her benefit, he said, "And what of the little one?" His gaze lingering on the curve of her stomach.

"I have to believe she means what she says. She wants a confrontation tonight." She looked down at her hands, rubbing her fingertips together, feeling the magic there. "She won't hurt me; she just wants to humiliate me. And although it doesn't bring me comfort, she admits she wants my baby. She won't hurt her."

It was clear to him that she wasn't going to be talked out of this. He tried to keep his objections contained, while telling himself it wasn't his place. Still, before he could catch his words he said, "I don't like it."

"I know, neither do I."

He took her hand in his and looked up into her deep brown eyes. When she didn't say anything, he said, "Then, let me help you."

* * *

Walking into downtown, Regina could see the large crowd up ahead. She could make out as her sister's voice rang out. Taunting. Threatening. It was time for this to stop.

"Anybody else want to give it a go?" Zelena called out.

"I do." Regina smirked. She could feel her energy returning to her as she drew herself up to her full height. This woman didn't have a clue who she was dealing with once threatened. "Didn't anyone tell you? Black is my color."

The witch laughed. "But it looks so much better on me. I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."

"I couldn't let my sister off that easily."

"Oh." Her mouth curled into a sarcastic sneer. "So you've finally accepted me into the family?"

Regina wouldn't go  _that_  far. "I've accepted that we shared a mother, yes. But I still have one question. What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zelena walked up to Regina. Standing toe to toe, she hissed, "You were born."

She'd had just enough of this. Regina reared her hand back, then bringing in round the palm of her hand connected sharply with the side of Zelena's face and God did it feel good!

Regina's eyes narrowed. "I've been waiting to do that  _all_  day."

Zelena wiped the blood from her lip. "Careful, dear...Rumplestiltskin can't save you this time. He should have chosen me."

Wait. What? Regina's brow rose up. "Who?"

Her glare ice-cold, Zelena spat," Rumplestiltskin."

Regina smiled. She should have known. "That's what this is about?" She asked, almost amused. "You're jealous of me?"

Regina would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. If the witch wanted a fight, she would give her one. Using her magic, Regina summoned the large traffic light, snapping it from its suspension above, and then easily tossing it at Zelena.

Unfortunately, Zelena tossed it aside using her own defection spell. Soon Regina felt her throat being constricted, and she was raised, held high in the air by Zelena's magic. Zelena didn't give her much time to think before she hurled Regina through the clock tower window.

When she landed softly against the railing, Regina gasped out in shock, gripping her right hand protectively over her stomach. She'd thought her "sister" wasn't going to hurt her, but obviously she'd been mistaken and underestimated how wicked Zelena was. Luckily, something had mostly cushioned her fall. Groaning, Regina tried to sit up, but a sharp pain flared up in her side, stealing her breath away.

Zelena appeared in front of her then, glass breaking under her feet. "Oops." She chuckled darkly. "Did I hurt you?" she mocked, bending down, coming eye to eye with her sister. "Did I …" a wicked grin spread across her face, "did I hurt my poor, little niece?" Zelena stared down at her with cold, hard eyes.

Regina refused to let her think she had the upper hand, pushing down what was now only a slight ache, she bit back, "You wish."

"Oh, Regina," Zelena sneered and clenched her teeth. "You still don't realize what you have. You never did. You got everything I ever wanted, and you didn't even deserve it! But I'm gonna take it all from you!" Zelena tightened her grip of Regina's throat. "You can't beat me, little sis. Everything Rumplestiltskin taught you, he taught me, too, but I was the better student."

Regina forced out, "Well, what are you waiting for? Kill me."

"I never said I wanted to kill you."

Regina scoffed and adjusted her weight, one hand still protectively gripping her stomach. "I find that hard to believe."

"We both know you're more resilient than that, dear. That's what makes this all so fun. I said I wanted to destroy you, and to do that, I need your heart... and your baby. Hopefully, not too worse for wear." Zelena froze Regina in place again, magic tightening around her throat while her free hand creepily touched Regina's stomach. With what little air Regina could get into her lungs, she gasped, but was unable to stop her. "But I only have to wait for one of them."

Then came a white hot pain as Zelena attempted to pull out her heart. Anger filled the Wicked Witch's face as she pulled her hand back in enraged confusion.

"Where is it?!" she screamed, letting go of Regina who fell back against the clock tower railing.

Regina looked up at her and smiled through gritted teeth. "Our mother taught me one thing. Never bring your heart to a witch fight. Something you'd know if she hadn't  _abandoned_ you."

Fury filled Zelena's eyes. "You haven't won, Regina. I will get your heart! I will get your baby! I will get everything you ever had!"

"Not today," Regina said.

A broom stick appeared beside Zelena, and, in an instant, she and Rumplestiltskin were gone.

With her sister gone, Regina groaned. Slumping forward, her hands resting protectively on her stomach, she fought back tears from the pain in her throat.

She heard footsteps, followed by Snow's voice. "My God, Regina! Are you alright?" she asked, panicked as she kneeled down beside her.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Regina replied, dryly. David held out his hands to help her up. Shakily, getting to her feet, she looked around at everyone's concerned eyes. "As it turns out, Zelena wants my heart  _and_  the baby. It's a good thing I wasn't stupid enough to bring my heart with me."

Snow gasped covering her mouth. "Regina, we need to get you to the hospital."

"I'm fine." She said, placing a hand at the small of her back. "I'll be fine," she said, waving a now steady hand over her stomach, magic soothing away little aches and pains. "She'll be fine," her voice was more of a whisper directed at the baby growing within her.

Snow's gaze still concerned, but Charming's voice broke any tension still in the air. "Any idea why she wants them?" he asked.

"Well, she got your courage and wants my heart and baby." Regina's nervousness starting to edge away, replaced by uncertainty. "As much as I hate to admit it, those are ingredients."

Emma was taken aback. "For what, a curse?

Snow shook her head. "We're already in Storybrooke. We've already lost our memories. What else could she do to us?"

She had no idea how much farther she needed to go, but that would be the least of her problems if Zelena found where she hid her heart. She stumbled on wobbly legs out into the late night darkness, and knew she would eventually come to his camp. She hoped that she wasn't too late. That her sister didn't beat her to it or figure out where it was. She had to find Robin. The thought that Zelena would harm him in her quest to get to her heart made her breath catch in her throat.

* * *

Shining the flashlight around her, she turned a corner and then breathed a great sigh of relief, as he came into view, before coming to a staggering halt.

His voice called out as he walked over to her. "Did the plan work?"

Breathless from her quick jog, and bracing a shaky hand against a tree, she panted, "That depends. Is it still here?"

"Right where you left it," he confirmed, going over to a nearby pile of rocks.

"Well then, it worked. I just needed to find the one thing I had that Zelena didn't." She watched forlornly at the ground as Robin kneeled down to retrieved her heart.

"And what exactly was that?" he asked, standing and holding it out for her.

Taking it from him, she placed it in the satchel she carried with her and replied, "My heartless mother. My sister was right about something. She said I don't always realize what I have right in front of me."

She watched him as he stood there, and she couldn't help but think about how he  _was_  what was right in front of her.

"What's that?"

"Just that I didn't always appreciate things." Regina stared at the satchel for a moment and took his hand in hers, placing her heart back in his. "Would you mind holding on to this for a bit longer?"

He took note of what she was asking of him, "You're really going to entrust something so valuable to a common thief like me?"

Voice thick with emotion, she said, "You can't steal something that's been given to you."

Closing her eyes for a moment, her shoulders slumped and her hands dropped, cradling her stomach before she raised her head again, met his gaze, and cleared her throat.

He studied her carefully. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm just tired and dizzy." She placed her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. "Zelena was a little more aggressive than I anticipated. She surprised me, that's all. The baby is fine." Although, Regina knew it was more and hoped he couldn't spot the lie. Being thrown through the clock tower would've taken it out of her before, but, now, being pregnant, her energy was sapped. She realized just how exhausted she was.

Robin instantly saw she wasn't telling the whole truth, and, with immediate concern, he grabbed her arms to help support her. "I think it's high time for you to get some rest."

Regina shook her head. "I just need to get back to my car."

She swayed slightly, and Robin stabilized her.

He shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not, milady." Robin knew she was exhausted and needed rest, but he also knew she was stubborn and didn't like to admit when she needed help. So he gently prompted, "I've been in those convoluted contraptions, and, if there's one thing I know, it's that you are in no condition to operate one."

She closed her eyes, while the world sickly spun around her. "I'm open to suggestions."

"You shall stay in camp with me," he told her without room for argument.

Regina very slowly and carefully looked up at him. She gave him a tired lopsided grin. "My, aren't we a little presumptuous?"

Robin chuckled. "Actually, in addition to you and your little one's safety, I'd like for you to meet my son."

"Oh."

"So, many more protests, hmm?" He raised a challenging brow at her. "Can we go?"

Regina groaned. "I can't afford this right now. There's too much to do." Regina lightly stretched, almost afraid to make any sudden movements and swayed on the spot again.

Amused at her willfulness, he smiled, "It seems the little one disagrees, and, if you won't listen to reason... well then…"

She let out a cry somewhere between surprise and disbelief as he swept her up and effortlessly into his arms. "You are  _not_  carrying me,' she stated, although her arms were already wrapped securely around his neck.

He smiled and shook his head. "Actually, I already am."

"But…" she started in a weak protest. Surely he couldn't support her weight the entire way there? "Is it far?" she asked, relaxing her posture in surrender.

"No, it's not." With a tender smile, he said, "Just rest easy, milady. I've got you."


	6. Sweet Escape

 

Robin walked back into his camp still protectively carrying Regina in his arms. Making his way over to the campfire, he gently set her on her feet, then helped to ease her down on a blanket by the fire.

Upon being set down, Regina groaned a little at the loss of his warmth, feeling much better now than right after her confrontation with Zelena. Currently, she only felt slightly dizzy. She knew she needed to rest. She could feel the exhaustion not only from her pregnancy but also from the exertion, both physical and magical, begin to set it, leaving her feeling more drained than she could ever remember being.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Robin inquired, kneeling down beside her.

"Yes," she said, closing her eyes and breathing in the smells of the forest. Her hands naturally rested on her stomach and rubbed slow soothing circles to calm her active daughter.

Robin knew the Merry Men would be stoking their fire pit by now and preparing supper. That's the first thing he'd do after checking on Roland. He'd get food into this stubborn, beautiful woman. Making his apologies for leaving her alone, he quickly made his way across the camp to check on his men and the state of things before making his way back to the queen.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Regina looked up at the sound of his voice. "The men love to cook in this realm's new-fashion, so the meal is now 'on the grill,' as they say." Robin walked around the fire, and he was soon met by the delighted squeals of his son trying to sneak up behind him.

"Papa!" Roland shouted in glee.

"Roland, my boy!" Robin picked his child up and threw him into the air, both laughing out loud. "Were you good for Little John?"

"Yes, Papa!" Roland said, with both his hands on his father's face. "But I'm not supposed to tell why."

Intrigued, Robin raised his eyebrows. "And just what aren't you supposed to tell?"

"It's secret, Papa." But the sweet, white remnants of marshmallow and the smell of chocolate on his boy's breathe gave it away. It'd been one of the first treats Roland had discovered after they arrived in Storybrooke, a sticky, fluffy substance that Robin couldn't quite bring himself to call food. It was more like sugary clouds meant only for the drooling mouths of children who craved sweets.

"I see. Well, I'm glad you had fun with your uncle." Robin's gazed now shifted toward his best mate in question. "Even if it seems a bribe was necessary."

Little John cleared his throat and walked away, pretending he hadn't heard and made himself busy with dinner preparations.

Robin carried Roland with him toward Regina and took a seat on the blanket next to her. Roland, now settled into his father's lap, eyed Regina suspiciously, a sight that was both cute and amusing.

They warmed their bodies over the crackling fire directly in front of Robin's tent. Regina caught the little boy's eyes and waved to him. The little boy reluctantly slid off his papa's lap between them but didn't go any further.

Regina glanced at Robin who was watching Roland's reaction. He smiled but said nothing.

"Roland," Robin started gaining the small boy's attention. "I'd like you to meet a very dear friend of mine. Her name is Regina."

Regina smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Roland."

Taking time to size up the situation, Roland finally decided to ease around to Regina, but staying as close as he could without touching her and watching her intently the entire time. When he finally reached Regina he slowly sat in front of her, never breaking eye contact with her. The adults were enjoying watching him as he quietly stared at her.

Finally, he asked, "Are you the queen?"

Regina laughed and Robin smothered his grin.

She nodded. "I used to be."

He tilted his head, his little brow creased in confusion. "You're not no more?"

Regina had to smile. "No, in this land I'm just like everyone else. Just like you." She reached up and tapped him on his little nose.

"Like me?" His eyes widened, and then as if deciding she was okay, he carefully crawled on Regina's lap.

Regina's eyes met Robin's for the briefest of seconds, worry showed on his face knowing she was still feeling the effects of her fight with the Wicked Witch. Regina reassured him without words that she was fine and slowly focused her attention on the sweet, dimple faced four year old in her lap. He crooked a little finger at her and then cupped his hands around his mouth.

Regina leaned down, and he said into her ear, "Do you know how to use magic?"

"Hmm…" Her eyes met Robin's briefly before she asked, "Who told you that?"

Roland pointed to across the fire from them to Friar Tuck who immediately looked away, and then feigning thirst got up from the camp fire. Regina watched in amusement as Robin scowled after his friend's retreating back.

"Yes, I know magic," she told the little boy. "But magic isn't like a toy."

"Oh, I have a toy!" Roland exclaimed, smiling. "Do you want to see it?"

"I would love to see it," she told him, and at that he jumped up off her lap running to his tent.

"I'm sorry about that," Robin apologized.

Regina chuckled. "No, it's fine. He's adorable."

Robin opened his mouth to say something when a rustling sound of little feet came up from behind them, and Roland plopped back down heavily in Regina's lap.

"Roland," Robin warned. "You must take great care with Regina, son."

Roland looked up at his father. "Why?"

"Because she's with child," Robin said, looking up at Regina.

Roland's forehead crinkled. It's not that there haven't been pregnancies in camp, of course there had been. However, Roland had been too young for many of the births and never close enough to the families to be directly involved. So it didn't surprise Robin when his son asked, "Papa, what is "with child"?"

Robin's face fell at his son's question, and Regina bit her lip hard in an attempt to contain the laughter that suddenly bubbled up in her. She found Robin's distress almost as adorable as his son. She smiled up at him from behind Roland's head.

Robin hesitated, clearing his throat. "Well, um..."

With all the seriousness she could muster, Regina scrunched up her nose playfully and asked, "Yeah, papa, what is it?"

Roland looked curiously between the two adults waiting for an answer.

Robin pursed his lips and cleared his throat before telling him, "It means Regina has a baby in her tummy."

Roland frowned and slowly leaned away from her a bit, looking down at her belly. He had to think about it for a moment before he looked back up at her. "There's a baby in your tummy?"

"Yes, there is." Regina glanced at Robin.

Roland put his small hand on her stomach a moment before pulling it back and asking, "How did it get in there?"

Regina looked at Robin who was rubbing a hand down his face in an attempt to smother an embarrassed groan.

Laughing she told Robin, "You brought this all on yourself."

Gilford, another one of the Merry Men, who also had been sitting with them, got up from across the fire leaving Robin and Regina alone with the boy. "Good luck, my friend," he called to Robin over his shoulder.

Robin looked at his son. "Well my boy, it... just… did..." he said, stumbling for words. Then he glanced down at the stuffed animal in the boy's hand. "Didn't you want to show Regina your toy?"

"Oh, yes!" Roland squealed, his attention diverted, much to the great relief of his father. Hoisting a stuffed animal at Regina, he said, "See, I have a monkey!"

"Yes, you do," Regina agreed, with equal enthusiasm to the boy's. Taking it from him, she eyed it as though she'd seen it before. Somehow it felt so familiar. Shaking off the feeling, she asked him, "Does he have a name?"

Roland looked up at her with wide eyes. "I can name him?"

"Of course you can," she told him.

"Well, I don't know any names." He shrugged.

"Hmmm, well let's think of some. It should be a special name."

His eyes lit up. "A special one?"

"Mmhmm, well he's a special monkey. He should have a special name."

"Hmm, how about... Henry!" he said, smiling up at her.

Regina looked at the boy in wonder. "Why that name?"

"Because that's the name of my friend," Roland told her matter-of-factly.

Robin leaned close to Regina and said. "When I took you into the hospital the other day, Henry was kind enough to play with Roland."

Warmth filled her at the thoughtfulness of her son. "Oh, I see." Looking back down at Roland, she said, "That's a very good name for him."

Finished with that conversation, the little boy asked, "Can the baby play?"

"I think I'll just go check on supper then," Robin told them, jumping to his feet.

Regina shook her head, grinning as he walked away.

* * *

"I hope you're hungry," Robin said, walking back to them a short while later.

A chuckle bubbled up from deep in Regina's chest. "It seems, I'm always hungry these days."

Robin smiled at that. "Roland, why don't you go give Tuck a hand with the tables."

Roland looked up at his father from his place on Regina's lap. "Is supper ready, Papa?"

"Yes, so you better hurry and beat Tuck to the carrots," he told the boy in a low conspiratorial tone.

Roland scrambled off Regina's lap yelling, "Tuuuuuck, don't take all the carrots!"

Robin laughed and held out his hands, helping Regina to her feet. He reluctantly let go of her hand and stepped a respectful distance away from her. "Shall we?"

She gave an indulgent nod, and they walked the short distance to where they had six large picnic tables set up.

It was only now that Regina registered just how much food was on offer. Along with the carrots, there was chicken, baked potatoes, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and various other condiments and sides.

Regina laughed. "There's enough to feed a small army."

"Well, there are quite a few of us," he pointed out.

Robin moved behind Regina and gestured to the bench at the first table. She sat down at the end, and Robin excused himself while he got them some plates.

Soon a shuffling noise came, followed by a young Roland Hood scrambling up on the bench beside her.

Regina gave Roland a once-over, noting the unruly mop of dark curly hair, mud-smudged pants, and little wool sweater. He smiled sweetly up at her. "Can I sit with you, Regina?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

"What's this?" Robin said, putting down two plates of food for Roland and Regina. "Have you taken my seat?"

"Noooo, cause I beat you." Roland stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry in Robin's direction.

Regina huffed a laugh.

Robin smirked good-naturedly. His heart filling as his son scooted closer to Regina's side. "It appears I have lost my seat."

"You're apparently not as quick-footed as you think you are, Sir Robin of Locksley." Regina arched an eyebrow at him.

Robin laughed. "Apparently not."

Regina shot a grin his way and then, as she surveyed the table, reached for a glass, but Robin beat her to it. "What would you care for, my lady?" he asked.

"Water would be great and thank you. Dinner smells delicious."

Nodding, Robin took one of the empty plates for himself and after a smile patted Roland on the shoulder. "Eat your dinner and keep Regina company for a moment, alright?"

Roland nodded, "Yep!"

Smiling warmly, Regina picked up her fork and began to eat. It was delicious – better than she anticipated – which shouldn't have surprised her.

"Regina?"

Regina swung around at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Archie?" Now this was strange, she thought but smiled up at him. "What are you doing here?"

A curly haired brunette appeared at his side and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. Regina's smile grew. Oh, now it made sense.

"Oh, Regina, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is our mayor, Regina Mills."

"Ah, The Evil Queen, yes I know." Rachel smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Welcome."

Regina looked down at Roland who had given them an odd look, before going back to his dinner. Her gaze went back to the young woman with a wry look. "I prefer, Regina."

Just then, Rachel was roughly handed a stack of plates from Friar Tuck, and she glared up at him only a moment before going and placing them on the other tables.

"I'm sorry about that," Archie apologized. "Her sister didn't make it back with the second curse. Everyone will come around, Regina. They just need some time."

He smiled sadly at her before he left to help with dinner. Her shoulders slumped. She should have known this was a bad idea. Regina was tempted to cut her losses and leave now.

However, as though on cue, Robin sat her water glass beside her. "What was all that about?"

"Just another one of the many reasons, why I don't socialize with people," Regina said, hoping she sounded indifferent.

He frowned at the woman, who sat down with Archie at the farthest table, as everyone shuffled around to make room. He made a mental note to speak with the girl in question later. Robin pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table next to Regina.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the evening and the quiet rustle of the trees. The sun had set a while ago, and overhead the stars had emerged from the darkness. Regina's gaze was drawn skyward as she tried not to sigh.

She knew Robin was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her, and lowering her gaze, she gave him a half smile before concentrating on her meal once more.

"How is it?"

She hummed appreciatively. "Very good, thank you."

There was a chorus of greetings as cups of coffee and various beverages were distributed and places taken at the large tables.

Everyone began helping themselves, passing plates and bowls back and forth, chatting, laughing, and making 'mmmming' noises as they ate. Reaching for another piece of chicken, Friar Tuck threw in an aside, "So, Majesty, before you came tonight we were all just talking about you."

Little John, Robin, and a teenager she'd met earlier, Emery who was also at the table, looked up.

"Oh?" Regina grabbed her water and took a drink. This should be interesting. "What town gossip have you heard about me?"

Tuck leaned forward, jabbing a fork in Robin's direction, and said, "It appears our leader is in much of a snit these last few days. Are you the cause?"

Robin choked on his water and gave Tuck an exasperated look.

Regina cleared her throat, not sure where this was going, and muttered sotto voce, "I'm not sure what you mean?"

Regina sent a questioning look in his direction, and Little John amended quickly, "We hear you can pluck his majesty's never-miss-a-mark arrows from the air."

"Where did you hear that?" she asked, taking another sip of her water.

This time it was Friar Tuck that pointed an accusing finger at the little boy next to Regina, who looked up at them all with wide innocent eyes.

Attention now focused on him, Roland looked up from his sticky fingers to the adults now watching him. "What?"

Robin leaned forward. "My boy, I told you that in the strictest of confidence."

Roland leaned into Regina. "What's confidence?"

She looked down at Roland and put her hand on his back. "It's like keeping a secret."

"Ohh." Roland nodded in understanding and then shrugged. "Well then why didn't you say so, Papa?"

Robin laughed softly, shaking his head. "Why, indeed?"

Unnoticeable to the others, Regina winked at him and said, "Telling our secrets, are we?"

"I admit to no such thing."

"Well whatever the cause, we thank you." Tuck smiled and raised his glass to her.

Emery added, "His lofty perch isn't so high anymore now that everyone knows a woman can thwart him."

Robin groaned his face becoming a bit redder under everyone's scrutiny, but he bit back good-humoredly, "Watch it, men. I know where you sleep, and it was one arrow."

Tuck shook his head. "Not just that, you're forgetting the monkey near the village it took… what was it..." he looked to Emery, "three attempts before striking it?"

Robin rolled his eyes. "I would like to state, in my defense, that it was a total of two arrows, and only two. Also I was trying not to kill the poor beast, only injure it. That does not mean I'm in a snit."

Regina said, "I think we should take a look at your track record, Robin. It doesn't bode well."

Robin rubbed his forehead. "I feel a slight headache coming on."

Regina laughed. Under the table, Robin felt Regina's hand squeeze his thigh just above the knee. He bit his lip to hide the smile as her hand stayed there. He could tell by the sparkle in Regina's eyes that she was having fun with this conversation, so he didn't stop it.

Another man came and took a seat across from the friar. "What did I miss?"

Tuck took a sip of his beer. "We were about to embarrass Robin further."

"Oh? That sounds like merry fun," he said.

"Must we bring up all these rather unpleasant memories?" Robin asked.

"You could end it by simply 'fessing up' and admitting that you're not perfect. Your choice," Emery told him, smiling widely.

Robin sighed dramatically. He put his hand on top of Regina's under the table. "Hmm, I'm afraid I can't do that."

Regina shook her head.

* * *

A while later, Emery offered Regina the plate of cookies. "You'd better have a few before they're all gone, majesty."

Regina looked up and after licking a drip of chocolate from her s'more off her finger. "Oh, I couldn't. I'm so stuffed already."

"You'd better grab her a couple for later, Robin. Regina's been wolfing the s'mores down like she hasn't had a decent meal in years. Don't your people feed you out there in the town?" Tuck asked, playfully.

The corner of Robin's mouth lifted in a smile.

Regina and Roland stopped chewing and looked at one another. His chocolate covered face grinned up at her. "R-gina likes chocolate just like me."

"Yes, I do sweetheart," she said, brushing his hair away from his face as he yawned. "And I eat," she tossed back at the man sitting across from her.

Tuck hummed in disbelief but let it drop.

Regina smiled warmly as she cast her eyes around the table. The strange sense of dislocation and isolation had gone tonight. She felt at home here with Robin. Not that anyone would have been aware of her troubled thoughts or preoccupation. She'd hidden it well. Her ability to 'put on a happy face' was something she'd become quite adept at. But whether anyone else knew or not was immaterial; she could feel the difference and for now that's all that mattered.

It was only moments later that she was obliged to amend that thought. It appeared she wasn't the only one aware of her improved frame of mind, as the thief who had her heart smiled gently from beside her.

Robin touched her forearm and gestured to the little boy that had fallen asleep against her arm. Their eyes met for a moment, and she could read the question in his gaze. Regina nodded, her eyes softening as she lifted the boy towards her and into her arms. He helped her stand up from the table and held out his arms to take the boy, but Regina shook her head.

"I'll take him, if you don't mind," She said.

He smiled at her, and they both left towards the back of camp.

* * *

After settling Roland in his own tent next to his, Robin lead Regina to his tent, where he was covering his mat with many extra blankets and pillows.

She sat beside him, watching him fuss over her in great interest.

"I'm afraid I didn't quite think this through," he admitted more to himself than to her. "You would have been more comfortable in your own bed, I dare say."

She smiled and shook her head. "You have more here than I'll know what to do with. I'll be just fine," she assured him.

He helped her to her knees, and she snuggled down into the bed made of blankets and pillows. Holding her hand, he asked, "Is that alright?"

"Mmmhmm. Thank you." She sucked in her breath and put her hand on her belly. "Oh."

His eyes widened. He asked, "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, she's just really moving tonight."

"Moving?"

Regina smiled and nodded. "She's been very active tonight, but right now she has the hiccups."

Robin grinned up at her amazed. "You can feel that?"

"Mmhm. Give me your hand." He held it out for her tentatively, and she pressed it into her belly, moving it to the side and holding it over the baby.

His hand stilled on her stomach as they waited. Robin gasped as he felt something move under his hand.

Just then she smiled at him. "Do you feel that?"

He nodded.

"If you wait a second, you'll feel it." But she didn't have to finish as the flutter happened once more. "See, hiccups."

"That's incredible." He didn't remove his hand, but he realized something and looked sharply up at her. "So you know it's a girl, then?"

Regina's smile slowly disappeared, and she continued to look deeply into his eyes. "Let's just say, I have a feeling."

He stroked one hand over her pregnant belly and then looked up at her, his eyes filled with something she wouldn't let herself acknowledge. She felt the sting of tears as she looked at his dear face. She only wished that she could just remember.

"I know I'm taking a chance but," Robin began, but faltered a moment.

Regina swallowed and held her breath. If her heart had been in her chest, she was sure he'd be able to hear it.

"Do you have any inkling who… I mean…" Robin sighed, frustrated. "I don't know why this is so bloody difficult."

Taking his hand, she said, "I know what you're asking, and as much as I wish I could give you the answer, I don't know it for sure."

He looked down into her eyes. The hope radiating from them was almost overwhelming. "So you have some idea, then?"

Shaking her head, she said, "No, not exactly, but I have a feeling."

"And what's that?"

Her eyes were locked with his. "I don't think I can say."

"Why?"

Her voice was thick with emotion, "I think I'm afraid."

He tilted his head in concern. "Afraid of what?"

With sadness in her eyes, she reached out, and with feather light touches, she traced a line across his brow and down the side of his face. Her hand stilled on his cheek. "Afraid of being wrong."

He reached up, holding her hand in place and whispered, "I don't think you are." He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well, my lady."

Regina fought back tears as he rose away from her, but then making a quick decision, she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Wait," she whispered. "Stay with me?"

He nodded and crawled in the bed of pillows behind her. Pulling heavy blankets up to cover them, he gathered her into his arms to spoon her against him, while she in turn wrapped her arms around his.

She could feel his lips press into her hair, and she closed her eyes at the onslaught of emotions that filled her.

Regina took a deep shuddering breath. "Thank you."

He nuzzled her neck, and with his lips close to her ear, whispered, "For you, my lady... anything."

She snuggled back into his embrace, and as his hand protectively slid onto her belly, she quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.


	7. Jolly Magic

 

He'd woken before the first rays of morning could lightly stream into his tent. With much on his mind, he'd found sleep eluded him most of the night. Emotions he'd thought were long lost to him were making themselves known once more, gently playing with the strings of his heart, reminding him of what once was and what could be again.

It'd been a long time since Robin had felt a sensation akin to hope rise in his chest, a long time since he'd had a woman in his bed, and an even longer time since he'd allowed one to get so close to his son. He wasn't quite sure what pulled him to Regina, but he'd felt it almost instantly. When Henry had found him that day in the park, asking for help for "the Mayor," he didn't know that that feeling would be the spark of what was now growing within him, taking root in his heart.

Robin traced the lines of Regina's sleeping face, and at his touch, she snuggled deeper into his arms. She was still in the peaceful hold of slumber, only moving, he realized, when the child she carried rolled or tumbled within her.

He smiled and tugged her closer. She muttered something in her sleep and snuggled closer still, her hand curling into his chest, her face burying deeper into the side of his neck. Robin's heart filled with warmth and that same pull drew him toward her without reservation. Her breath caressed his cheek, his eyes drifted shut, and he boldly but gently kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled of apples and cinnamon, and Robin smiled.

He kept his hand still on her curved abdomen, careful not to wake her. A sense of joy filled him as he felt a small flutter from the little life inside Regina. Just as he didn't know why he felt drawn to this beautiful, sharp-tongued woman, he also wasn't sure why he felt drawn to or protective of the baby that grew within her.

No. If he was really honest, that's not quite true.

He had an inkling, a feeling, and the more he thought about it, the more certain he was. Whether or not Regina was ready to say it aloud, or admit it to herself, he was certain that knew what lay asleep in his arms. As certain as he had been that Roland would be his life's joy and greatest accomplishment. As certain as he was that his arrow would never miss its mark. As certain as he was that the sun would set and rise every day. He knew he was holding his family in his arms.

Years after Marian had died, he never dared to imagine that he'd have this again. He'd never allowed himself to hope for such a blessing. But, he couldn't deny his instincts or that every bone in his body was telling him that Regina was his, the baby was his, and he in turn belonged to them. His instincts had never betrayed him before. They never let him down when he needed them the most, and this sense of belonging gave him a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

"Feel anything?" Regina's tired and raspy voice startled him out of his reverie.

He kept his hand where it was, and though he'd been awake far longer than her, his voice was rough with sleep when he replied, "I can. Can't imagine how you can sleep through it."

She chuckled. "It took a few nights to get used to it."

"How are you? Did you sleep well?"

With a tender smile, she said, "I'm good, actually. I don't remember sleeping so deeply in a long time. Thank you." She sighed, contently snuggled into his side and under the warmth of furs and blankets.

He nodded. "It was my pleasure, Regina."

Regina lightly stretched and yawned. Feeling particularly tired and a bit bold she buried herself back into Robin's side, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'm still so tired. I'd give anything for some of my energy back."

Robin took her hand in his. "Soon, you will."

Seriousness crept into her voice, thinking about last night's encounter with Zelena. "I don't know how well I'll be able to do this."

"What's that?"

"Have a baby."

"You already have Henry."

"Yes, but with the baby it's so much different. Having a daughter…" Regina wasn't sure what it was about this man that broke down her walls. "I suppose I'm afraid of becoming like my mother."

He started to say that it was a little late to be asking that now, but decided to give her the reassurance she was seeking. "While I cannot say I ever had the pleasure of knowing your mother, I can say with great confidence, that you will be an amazing mother to this little girl."

"You think so?"

"I do. I believe that because you recognize this fear, you will do anything in your power to prevent it from happening."

Smiling, she asked, "You seem to have a lot of faith in me. Why is that?"

"Because I know you, Regina." Robin tentatively placed his hand on her belly. "I can't explain it, but I just do."

"I feel the same way." She covered his hand with hers to let him know it was okay to touch her.

Robin gingerly rubbed his thumb back and forth. "She's quiet."

She smiled. "She's sleeping now, I think."

Just then, there was a small movement, and she carefully pressed his hand into her stomach and guided his fingertips so they traced a small pattern around a small, raised bump.

"Hmmm." Robin concentrated on what he was feeling. "What's that?"

"Her foot," she said tenderly.

Smiling widely, he said, "Have you chosen a name for the princess?"

"Not yet." Regina smiled. "I think I'll wait until..."

Pulling his hand away to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, he asked, "Until?"

"Until the curse is broken."

He nodded. "Oh yes, that would be good…" Tentatively, Robin said, "I'm sure her father," he nodded at her knowingly and bit his bottom lip before adding, "wouldn't want to miss naming her with you."

Regina nervously chuckled and blushed a little. "I hate to say it, but I'm starving."

Robin shook his head and laughter vibrated through his chest. "Breakfast can be arranged then, my lady. What would you like?"

"Actually, why don't we go to my house." She reached over to take his hand. "You never got a chance to try my turnovers."

"Indeed." He smiled warmly and leaned over to lightly kiss her forehead.

* * *

"What's this?" Regina asked, as she opened her front door to find the Charming's on her doorstep.

Snow grinned up at her holding a very large wrapped box. "We got you something."

"What is it?" Regina's face fell into a suspicious frown. She wasn't so sure she wanted to see it.

"Can we come in?"

"Fine." Glancing behind Snow and Charming, she noticed a smiling Emma. "I see you've brought everyone, great."

"Regina, Regina, Regina!" Roland yelled, sailing towards Regina and skidded to a halt beside her. "Daddy's made a mess... oh!"

The silence was deafening as three sets of surprised eyes stared down at the little boy. Roland hid behind Regina's legs, quietly watching the goings-on in the room.

"Who's this?" Snow smiled down at the angelic little face.

Regina cleared her throat. "Roland this is Mary Margaret, David, and Emma."

Snow kneeled down. "Hi, Roland."

"Where'd you get him?" David asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his tone serious, but the smile in his eyes held nothing but amusement.

Emma smirked, picking up on David's implication. "Did you steal him?"

"What, no!" Regina gaped at them for suggesting something like that in front of Roland.

"I'm only kidding." Emma grinned and stepped over to Roland. Kneeling down she took his small hand in hers. "We met the other day. Do you remember me? I'm Henry's mom," she said to the little boy.

Roland took a step closer. "Is Henry here?"

"Oh, no, sorry kiddo, but he will be later. Maybe you guys can play then?"

He looked up at Regina, who smiled at him. "Okay," he replied, with a grin of his own.

"Well, we were just about to have lunch." Regina smiled sweetly at them, hoping they would take the hint.

"Daddy's making a mess!" Roland exclaimed excitedly. "You wanna come see?"

"Oh, yes I'd love to see. Why don't you take me to meet him?" Snow held out her hand to Roland, who took it without reservation. Walking by Regina, Snow added for only her to hear, "Does he by chance smell like...  _forest_?"

* * *

With their eyes riveted to the massive blueprint and brows creased in puzzled frowns, David and Robin leaned back to study the directions. Their gaze slowly traveled upwards from the perfectly rendered wooden pieces to the small intrusive tools.

Both looked as though they were about to collapse into a confused heap, and not for the first time, Regina wished she'd paid better attention to meditation techniques. A healthy dose of self control would come in handy right about now.

It was almost impossible to look at the two men on the floor without wanting to burst into laughter.

"I've seen enemy battle plans that were easier to decode than this." David said, handing the map-sized instructions to Robin.

"Indeed," Robin agreed, turning the paper this way and that. "What do you suppose this is?"

"Let me see. Good question. All right, it says ,"take screws 'E' with washers 'D' through bar 'C' using wrench 'F,' which is..." David paused, looking at the tools laid out before them then back at the directions. "Not provided."

"I will never understand the things of this realm." Robin sighed, throwing a packet of screws on the floor beside him. "Granted, there are some truly fascinating wonders, but then things like this come along and it makes me miss the simplicity of the Enchanted Forest."

"Well, my baby is not going to sleep in a basket made of twigs," Regina told him in reply. A smile tugged at his mouth as he looked down. "Why don't you just let me use my magic and..."

"No!" David and Robin cried out in unison.

David glanced at Robin and nodded. "We're fine."

Robin hummed his agreement.

Regina met Snow's smiling eyes and shook her head.

"Fine, if you two want to waste your time on that, go right ahead." Regina got up from the couch and started pacing. "Should we even be doing this? Ever since the showdown we haven't seen my sister or Rumple at all." She stopped and looked around at them all. Bringing her hands to rest on the small of her back she told them, "I think we should be ready for something."

Emma, who had been helping Roland put together a puzzle on the floor, looked up at Regina then at the others. "I agree, shouldn't we be focusing on her next move?"

David looked to Snow. "We are."

"We just can't stop living," Snow insisted. "And this crib is a statement, Regina. Zelena is not gonna get your baby."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest. This was getting far too emotional for her. "Well, I can't just sit here doing nothing."

Snow sighed. "You put up a new protection spell, right?"

"Yes." It was Regina's turn to sigh. "One that, thankfully, can't be undone by blood magic."

Snow nodded. Then, as if she were speaking to calm a small child said, "Which means Zelena won't be able to put her hands on you. So why are you so worried?"

"Wait, any idea why she would want  _your_  baby?" Emma asked, stopping the current conversation.

As much as she didn't want to say it, Regina admitted, "The number of spells involving baby parts would surprise you. That greenie is clearly one twisted witch."

"So as long as we're in here, we're safe." Snow nodded, as if that was final.

"That's useless. We can't stay in here forever," Emma disagreed. "I think we need to stop playing defense and start taking the fight to her."

"Did you not see how I barely outwitted her yesterday?" Regina asked Emma. "She has magic, powerful magic."

"I have magic, too. You've seen me use it. I just can't always control it. But if we teamed up, if you taught me..." Emma let the thought hang in the air.

Regina smiled up at the ceiling. "Now, why does this feel so familiar?"

"I'm ready this time."

"Okay, but if we do this, we do this my way. This isn't drinking stale coffee at a stakeout or whatever you did as a bail bonds-person." Holding up her hand, she replied, "This is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it."

Emma looked earnestly at her. "Not a problem."

"And no complaining." She shook her head.

"I'm doing this. It's the only way," she replied immediately.

"Alright, I'll go get my jacket, and we'll head to my vault," she said, leaving the room.

"Regina," Robin called out, getting up and following her into the hallway. "Should you be going out there right now? I thought the whole point of putting up the protection spell was to protect you? I may be missing something, but don't you need to be  _inside_  it for it to work properly?"

She stepped closer and put her hand on his chest."You're not missing anything, but I can't just sit here and put together baby furniture. If my child is going to have a future, I'm going to need help. And as much as I hate to admit it, Emma's magic is much stronger than mine. It's the best chance we all have right now."

He bowed his head while he collected his thoughts. When he looked up at her again, he let out a breath. "Well, when you put it like that."

"I know you're feeling very protective of us, but I'll be fine. Trust me?"

His heart hammered in his chest as he covered her hand with his. "I do."

"Are you sure you don't want me to just use my magic on ..."

"Actually, I'd rather you not. David and I have got this well in hand."

"If you're sure?"

He smiled. "I am."

Pulling her hand away, she smirked. "I'll be back later."

"Do you want us to wait?"

She turned her face up to his. "Well, I think since you provided dinner last night, it's only fair that I cook for you tonight."

"Oh, her Majesty cooks?" A smile tugged at his mouth as he looked down at her. "Well then, this I have to see for myself. Will we be dining with or without the aid of magic, milady?"

Regina chuckled. "Without."

He looked down into her eyes. "Then Roland and I shall await your return."

* * *

After lunch, Robin, David, and Snow moved the crib upstairs and got started working on the nursery. Regina had given Snow free rein to set up the baby's room, and Snow had made it her mission that she would help Regina get excited for this new change in her life.

From her contorted, yet surprisingly comfortable position in the glider, Snow watched as Robin and David took the gifts they'd brought out of their bags and put them away. She made note of where they placed things, but for the most part, would let Regina know she could move them if she didn't like it.

After Snow put the soft pink bedding on the crib and gently placed a small, plush white horse in the corner, she found herself gazing at the crib with affection.

"Did you hear me, Mary Margaret?" David asked.

"Hmm?" She moved her gaze to her husband.

"I just asked where the other stuff is."

"What other stuff?" Robin inquired.

"The diapers and other things Regina's going to need." Snows brow furrowed in thought. "Are they in the truck with everything else?" she asked as David left the room and went to look.

Snow ran into the hallway and called out, "Actually David, if they're not in the truck, they might be in Emma's car. Call and see if she can drop them by after she grabs Henry."

David called out an affirmative, and Snow appeared in the doorway, with Robin carrying a sleepy Roland who had just woken up from a nap. She put her hands on her hips and asked, "I hope I haven't forgotten anything."

Robin asked, very amused as he looked around the room of pink and white. "What else could she need?"

The princess replied, "Well, I gave Regina a list of things for the baby, just the necessities, and she said she'd get to it after she sees to the Wicked Witch."

Robin nodded knowingly. "That might be a while."

"Exactly, the baby could be born by then, and the poor thing would have nothing to wear." Snow adjusted the blankets in the crib once more. "So I thought I'd just surprise her."

"So you did all this, and she has no idea?"

"Yes, why? Do you think she'll be upset?"

Robin looked around as he thought about the woman he cared very much for. The woman whose current thoughts lay with protecting her loved ones and keeping them all safe. The woman who did not have the energy to spend on things like cribs and things of no use to her in this moment. "No, I don't think she'll be upset, quite the contrary. I think Regina will be very grateful for all your help."

Snow smiled. "I hope so."

"You both have come a long way."

"We have, yes. I won't tell you it's been easy, but she's changed. She isn't the woman she was before."

"No, clearly not."

"You care for her."

"I do."

"I'm glad, for both of you. It's easy to see she feels the same for you."

A blush crept up Robin's face. "Yes, well..."

"Okay," David voice called, as he came inside the room. "Here we go. Emma put them in the kitchen."

"Oh good!"

"Well, what's left?" David asked, clapping his hands together and looking around.

Snow nodded toward the curtains. "We still need to put up these curtains."

She handed him a pale pink set of fabric that matched the crib bedding.

David raised an eyebrow, looking around at all the pink filling the room. "Regina found out it was a girl I take it."

"Not exactly." Robin shook his head. "But she has a feeling."

Snow's face fell. "But... I thought, I thought Dr. Whale told her it was?"

Robin bit the inside of his cheek. "Not exactly."

David snorted. "That doesn't surprise me. I wouldn't worry about it Mary Margaret. You knew Emma was going to be a girl. Maybe it's just a motherly feeling? Robin, can you hand me the screwdriver?"

Robin looked over the variety of instrument he and David had been working with, and, if memory served, handed David the tool. "This one?"

"Yes, thank you," David replied as he took it from him.

"Alright, I've got everything Regina will need for bathing her but nothing for grooming."

"Grooming?" David asked. "She won't be styling her hair for a few years, Snow."

Snow sighed and added, "A baby's fingernails grow fast, and they tend to scratch up their little faces. Also, she'll want a thermometer, gas relief drops, diaper rash cream, and baby powder. That includes diapers, too. I didn't think of that," Snow noted.

"Is that a concern?" Robin asked.

"Let's see, she has onesies and sleepers. Am I forgetting anything?"

"Omm," Robin replied. "If you ask me there isn't anything else the baby could need."

"I know." Mary Margaret's eye light up. "Pacifiers!"

"What's a pacifier?" Robin asked, his left eyebrow rose in confusion.

* * *

"Don't touch anything," Regina called out as they entered the vault.

Emma curiously started looking around, and as if she hadn't heard Regina, she picked up something from a nearby shelf. "How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't touch anything?"

"The same way I did with Rumple. We're going to create a solid foundation first, and then build your skills from the ground up," Regina said, turning toward the blonde. Noticing her lack of attention from the object in her hand, Regina took it from her placing it back in its spot. "I said, don't touch."

Emma rolled her eyes but complied.

Regina opened a large chest covered in dust and started scanning the books inside. "So, while we're here, who's looking after Henry? The Un-Charmings?"

"Actually, Hook is."

"Well, those two have been spending a lot of time together lately." Regina observed.

Emma shrugged. "Hook's good with Henry, and Henry likes him."

Regina shuffled through another chest of books and with a little sarcasm, said, "He's prone to violence, impulsive, and has a hook for a hand. What about him would a 12-year-old boy not like?"

"I trust him. He brought me back to Storybrooke, and he didn't have to."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course he brought  _you_  back."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked defensive.

"Seriously?' Regina turned around to face her and raised an eyebrow. "You're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doe-y eyes?"

Emma shot her with an unamused stare. "I don't yearn."

"Well, maybe." Regina then lowered her voice to add, "But he does."

She gaped at Regina, disbelieving. "Seriously? You're going to talk about doe-y-eyes when you have Robin Hood and his perfect kid at home building a crib for you?"

Regina turned back to the books. "We're just friends."

"Yeah, okay." Emma walked up beside her. "You gonna keep telling yourself that when your kid comes out with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes?"

"I'll deal with that when the time comes, but until then, let's start with roots for incantations." Regina held out a book to Emma, choosing to ignore her comment.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Emma said taking the book from her. "What language is this, Spanish?"

"We're not making tapas. We're making magic," She replied, as if it were obvious. "It's Elvish. Well, half Elvish."

"I'm never gonna get this," She said flipping through the pages. "Is this how Rumple taught you? Just think about your training. What other methods did he use?"

"Rumple was a bully," Regina replied in irritation. "He didn't suffer fools, and he certainly didn't coddle his students. If he tried to teach you how to swim, and you couldn't learn, you drowned."

"Drowned?"

She focused on Emma as she thought carefully for a minute. Regina realized abruptly what the blonde needed and smiled. "That's it."

Emma looked up from the book."That's what?"

Regina appeared a second later overlooking a high ridge, which fell into a river canyon, with only an old-fashioned rope bridge where Emma Swan now stood, hanging between.

Emma's voice was panicky, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Calmly, Regina answered, "Teaching you to swim."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Emma cried out as the bridge swung precariously.

"Every time you've exhibited your power, it's been spurred by your instincts," Regina said as if she were teaching a classroom full of ten-year olds. "So today, we're going to push those instincts until you master them."

Emma was holding onto the ropes. Her voice trembled, "A little reading doesn't sound so bad now."

"You can stop me."

"Stop you from what?"

Regina smirked. "This."

The wooden planks from the bridge started ripping away from each end of the bridge one by one. Coming closer and closer, to Emma.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Emma cried out.

"Making the bridge collapse," Regina told her. "You can either stop it or die."

Emma screamed looking down as the planks disappeared under her feet. She took hold of the rope before she fell. Dangling from it, she cried out angrily, "Regina! Enough! Stop this!"

Voice like steel, Regina said, "No, you stop it. No more hand-holding. You have to do this. Reach into your gut. You know you can do this. It's inside you, Emma. Save the bridge. Save yourself!"

But she didn't.

She fell.

Regina's eyes widened in fear for a moment when Emma didn't immediately resurface, as she had expected her to. Panic gripped her for a heart stopping second. She let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding a moment later, as Emma floated up on a pile of jangled wood and twisted rope.

Breathing heavily, Emma managed to say, "Did I just do that?"

"Yes." Regina sighed, aggravated. Emma was capable of so much, and all she did was squander it. "When all I wanted was for you to retie the rope."

"It was like you said, instinct," Emma stated in wonder of her own gift. "Why are you pissed? I did it. Why does it matter how?"

Regina scoffed. "You think I'm mad because you didn't listen to me? I'm mad because look at all this potential inside of you, and you've been wasting it."

* * *

As soon as Emma pulled into her driveway, Regina breathed a sigh of relief. The ride wasn't the smoothest, and Regina found it impossible to avoid being jostled around in the small vehicle. She never imagined that riding in a car would become so cumbersome. Even more of a chore was getting out of the tin-can Emma Swan called a vehicle with as much grace as she could muster.

However, she didn't have to worry about that because the passenger door was opened and Robin was there with a hand. "Some aid, my lady?"

She held up her hand to forestall his concerns. "I'm fine."

She took his offered hand anyways.

"Swan."

They all looked up as Hook walked up to Emma who was surprised to see him.

"I thought you might come here," he told her closing the distance between them.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked looking around her. "Where's Henry? Is everything alright?"

"He's fine. He's with his grandparents inside." Hook gestured back to the house. "I thought I might have a word with you before you went in."

Emma looked back at Regina and Robin, who looked on curiously but took no time in making themselves scarce.

Once out of earshot, as they walked up the path to Regina's front door, Robin grinned and asked, "How was your time with Emma?"

"Well let's see... She doesn't listen to instructions, she thinks she can rely on her emotions for everything, and she thinks her ways are better after practicing magic for a day," Regina responded. "She's infuriating."

"Let's try and remedy that mood of yours then, shall we?" He put his arm around her back as they walked up to the house.

The front door opened and Henry, Roland, David, and Snow were in the living room laughing and smiling happily, as Henry taught Roland how to play the Wii.

"There you are," Snow said. "I was starting to worry about you both."

Regina raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow, "Yes, well your…" Regina realized she was about slip in front of a curious Henry and corrected herself, "I mean we ran into a slight setback, but everything's fine."

The front door opened once again, and Emma followed in behind them.

"Gina, Henry's teaching me to play games!" Roland cried, running up to her and hugging her legs.

Regina ran a hand through his mop of curls. "Is he?"

Roland nodded. "Wanna watch me play?"

"Roland, let's let Regina relax a bit, and then she'll come watch you. Okay, my boy?"

Roland shrugged, "Okay." And he ran back over beside Henry.

"How about you, Henry?" Emma asked as she went to sit beside him, picking up the controller.. "How was your day?"

"Only the best day ever." Henry told her as he looked back at the screen, continuing to play the racing game. "David let me drive his truck."

Regina's mouth fell open."You let him what?!" Robin's hand rested on her back making her pause. Realizing, as the "mayor," she should have a reaction like a mother would have. Henry and everyone looked at her now. Softening her tone she backtracked, "Oh, as mayor, I can't let an unlicensed, underage driver on the streets of Storybrooke."

"As mayor, you might want to throw a little money at road repair," David deadpanned.

Regina looked up in dismay. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing." David smirked, ducking out of the room and into the kitchen.

Regina tried not to show her immense discomfort. "This is a terrible mistake."

"She's right." Emma shook her head. "Someone could have been seriously hurt."

"Only if you're a mailbox," Snow mumbled, looking away.

"It was so much fun." Henry grinned.

David smiled proudly as he came back into the room. "What can I say? I've got a reckless, carefree fun side."

Regina rolled her eyes, and Robin bit his lip attempting to stifle a grin at her outrage.

With barely contained excitement, Snow got up from the couch, walking up to Regina and taking her hand she announced, "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?" Regina couldn't help but feel wary of whatever Snow had done. Especially when she had that look of excitement on her face. Regina was too tired for excitement of any sort. "I don't like surprises."

"Come on." She took her by the hand and began to lead her to the stairs. Looking back Snow noticed that Robin hadn't moved. "Robin, you too," she coaxed.

"What did you do?" Regina asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl.

"Just what you said I could do," Snow told her, still pulling her along until she reached one of the spare bedrooms down from Regina's where they stopped. Snow turned to Regina. "If you don't like it you can always change it."

"You didn't."

"I did."

Regina inhaled sharply as the door opened to what was once an empty room of white walls and now was filled with a white sleigh bed crib, a matching changing table, and a dresser. The soft, pale pinks of the curtains and bedding added just the right amount of simplicity and elegance to the room. She would never have imagined Snow would know her so well.

"You did this all today?"

The raven haired girl's eyes brightened. "Well, I can't take all the credit. David and Robin did most of the work."

Pushing the tears that sprang to her eyes away, she swallowed hard before turning to face Snow. "This is perfect."

"I'm glad you like it," Snow replied softly.

She walked up to her and pulled Regina into her arms. Vibrant warmth spread throughout Regina from her chest all the way down to her toes. Snow pulled away after a moment and walked to the door, shutting it behind her to leave Regina alone with Robin.

After Snow left, Regina closed her eyes, letting a few tears fall. It wasn't that she minded what Snow did for her and the baby, but she was just sad that this whole ordeal with Zelena continued to impact her life to such a degree that she was not able to fully enjoy it.

Regina found herself gazing at the crib with affection. Running her hand along the smooth painted wood. She caressed her ever-growing belly and smiled as she felt her daughter moving around, having just gotten a dose of energy from her turbulent emotions.

"Do you like it?"

Regina nodded as she tiredly slid into the rocking chair. "I do."

Robin knelt down beside her, reaching up and pushing back a lock of hair from her face to behind her ear. "And yet you're crying."

"It's these hormones." Regina growled, wiping away the tears angrily.

He pulled her gently to him, his forehead against hers he asked, "It is?"

She let the tears fall then, and grabbing a fist full of his shirt, she admitted, "I just don't... I don't know why she cares."

Robin kissed her forehead. "It's about love, Regina."

She pulled back and looked into his bright blue eyes; she smiled softly at him, and then rested her head against his shoulder as he pulled her into his arms.

Snow smiled as Regina and Robin came back down the stairs. "Dinner at Granny's?"

"Can I drive?" Henry piped, walking to the foyer with Roland trailing behind him.

"No!" Regina, Emma, and Snow yelled out in unison.

"As much as I hate to miss this, I'm going to have to take a rain check; I'm a bit too exhausted," Regina told the group, as she and Robin came the rest of the way down the stairs.

Making her way behind David, Emma suggested, "Let's just have dinner here. It's not like there isn't enough room for us all."

Everyone around nodded and shrugged in agreement.

David clapped the younger boys on the shoulders. "Okay boys, let's go see what we've got."

* * *

Robin's eyes followed her, and even though she already knew his question, he still felt compelled to ask, "Are you sure I can't do anything to help?"

A raised eyebrow and a dubious look was his only answer, as Regina looked up from the apple pie she was making. Robin chuckled quietly as he raised his glass in a playful toast. "Fine, if you insist. Although, I have to tell you, I have peeled an apple or two in my day."

Her face broke into a grin. "You really want to help?" She nodded towards the knives. "Grab one of those and get to work then. I still need five more."

Robin shook his head, taking her knife from her and scooting a chair up behind her. "How about you sit, and I peel."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I think this is some sort of conspiracy between you and Mary Margaret."

"Never, Your Majesty."

She huffed a quiet laugh and smacked him lightly with a towel, before giving into him and taking a seat. Her sore back and feet immediately thanked her for the relief.

The quiet clatter of pots and pans, the occasional billow of steam, and the delightful warmth that radiated from her guests and her surroundings were a balm to her jangled nerves.

He turned and smiled, his eyes briefly meeting hers. Regina returned the smile, blinked slowly and then breathed a quiet sigh. They didn't seem to need words.

Regina looked over the kitchen. Henry and Roland were coloring at the dinner table; occasionally they'd look away from their drawings and smile at each other. Reluctantly, Regina pulled her eyes away from them and let her gaze drift around the room. Snow and Charming were preparing the lasagna, and even Emma was busy pulling out plates and silverware. A soothing sensation of stillness settled over Regina, and for the first time in forever, she felt at home and loved.

She'd been looking forward to this moment all day. With her eyes following Robin as he peeled an apple, the tension wrought from her frantic day slowly ebbed, and a wonderful feeling of calm pervaded her senses.

Robin must have felt her gaze because at that same moment, his hands stilled, the apple forgotten. He looked up, and his eyes met hers. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and a heart-stopping smile spread across his face. The connection between them sizzled with electricity, and she could feel it pulling her magic to the surface. It was as though he knew exactly what she was thinking and how she felt. Robin offered her a small piece of apple, which she accepted without breaking their stare. This connection between them was stronger than any spell she'd ever said, stronger than any curse she'd ever cast.

It was all so blindingly obvious and ridiculously simple that she couldn't believe it had taken her so long to recognize it.

 _He_  was her soul mate – the missing part of her that she'd run away from all those years ago in the tavern. The missing part of her that she'd never dreamed she'd find again or be lucky enough to deserve.

And for a moment, as Robin's fingers brushed against the side of hers, another slice of apple exchanged between them, Regina could almost forget that a Wicked Witch was after her and her unborn daughter.

Almost.


	8. Through My Soul

The trip downtown was uneventful, though Regina wondered why Emma would want to meet her at her office. When she tried to call her back, she was met with static and an eventual call failed. She even attempted to get a hold of Snow multiple times, but the signal on her phone was gone. Suspicious, she grabbed her keys and left for her office. Perhaps Emma had found something there? An important clue she missed, maybe?

When she pulled up near the building, Regina almost believed it was just another day in Storybrooke. Or at least, it would've been if everyone wasn't walking around with a constant look of trepidation marring their brows.

Upon reaching her office door, something stopped her in her tracks. A basket of green apples sat on the floor. Regina sighed. It wasn't Emma who called her. Opening the door to her office, she looked up at her sister and let out a slight groan. "It was you on the phone."

"Well, I had to find some way to have a chat with my little sis," Zelena replied, gracefully rising out of Regina's desk chair. "Another protection spell? A bit over dramatic, aren't we?"

Regina struggled to lean over and pick up the apples. "What's this?"

"A gift. From sister to sister." Zelena shrugged, walking around the room. "I saw your tree, and I thought you could use something better. Red apples are so sickly sweet, don't you think? People tend to like something a little sharper."

Regina set them on her desk. "And green apples are just bitter." Zelena picked up a vase; annoyed, Regina said, "That's not yours."

Zelena snorted and put it back. "Story of my life."

Oh, this was getting old. As much fun as chatting with her sister was, Regina cut to the point, "Why are you here?"

"Oh, sisterly concern, sisterly advice, you know. Wanted to make sure you and my precious niece were all right after our little showdown."

"We're fine." Regina responded, "Are you?"

"Getting there," Zelena remarked as she walked around Regina's office. "Wow. This is nice. So luxurious. You really don't appreciate what you have, do you?"

Regina shook her head. It was the same sad story every time with this woman. "Right, because I got everything, and you have nothing. If you want your superpower to be envy, go right ahead."

Zelena turned to her. "Envy is just another word for ambition."

Regina almost rolled her eyes. Maybe she should gift her sister with a thesaurus? "Well, that's just not true."

"See, I strive for things. I work. You..." Zelena looked Regina up and down and scoffed. "You cast a curse that was just a fancy form of running away. With every advantage, you still turn your back on every opportunity for happiness. You, Regina...You just…" She gestured her hands out into the room. "You just don't take risks. You don't live your life. It's just such a waste. I can see why our mother was so disappointed in you."

"Disappointed in me?" Her eyes fell upon Zelena, leaning forward she pointed out smugly. "She gave  _you_  away."

She stared at her menacingly for a long moment. "You have no idea what really happened. That's exactly what's going to hurt you."

Regina chuckled, darkly. "You didn't come here to give me sisterly advice. Why are you really here?"

Zelena's eyes sparkled in delight. "So perceptive. I'm here, Regina, because I wanted to make sure that you weren't someplace else, so I could take what I need. Or rather, the dark one could."

Realization dawned and Regina's eyes widened.

"Oh yes, I know all about your dear, precious soul mate. Do you feel it, little sis? The Dark One is taking your heart." Zelena laughed.

Regina grabbed the letter opener on her desk, and with no hesitation, threw it through the air at Zelena who narrowly beat it and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

* * *

"Stop right there. You know this arrow never misses its mark."

"If I could stand down, I would." Rumplestiltskin said, "Heed me. Give me the heart."

"No." Robin stood his ground. He felt droplets of sweat bead at his hairline and drip down the sides of his face. His grip on the mechanical bow tightened as he squared off his shoulders. He didn't know what Zelena wanted with Regina's heart, but he knew enough that he dared not relinquish it.

"And who is this?" Rumple's body fluidly turned toward Roland, his stance like that of a deadly serpent stalking its prey.

"Roland! Go back!" Fear choked Robin.

"Come here, little boy."

"Don't! Please." Robin always had steady hands, but right now, they were shaking.

"I don't want to. I really don't. Come closer, little boy."

"Daddy!" Roland's cries broke his father's heart, and Robin repressed a strangled sob.

Even though he didn't have his memories, even though he didn't have proof but for the tug he felt in his heart, he knew that he and Regina were tethered to one another.

She was stubborn, snarky, powerful, independent, and, at the same time, vulnerable, bold, audacious, and stunning in every way. He never had problems before, charming his way into the hearts of women. He'd also never wanted to know one more than Regina. He was drawn to her like a tide to the shore. Bound by body, by spirit, by soul, and by the life she so preciously carried within her.

"Please. Don't do this," Robin begged, but his plea fell on deaf ears. There was nothing the Dark One could do but obey under the Wicked Witch's control.

Robin swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to rationalize what he should do, thinking of Roland, thinking of Regina and their child.

Regina challenged him, and he found quickly that he enjoyed their back-and-forth, fiery banter. He assumed that she did as well, always so swift to respond, sharp-tongued and witty.

Rumplestiltskin in one hand held Roland's life, and in the other, he held Regina's and the baby. He was forcing Robin to choose between a lesser of two evils.

"And stop," The imp said with a flick of his wrist.

"Daddy, help!" Blood rushed to Robin's head, his knees were shaking, and his mind raged war with himself.

_Protect Roland._

"I didn't want to do this either, but…" He let his arrow fly.

_Protect his daughter._

The arrow cut through the air, honed in on the Dark One.

_Protect Regina._

But to his horror, it stopped inches before it reached its mark. "It never misses its target… And I've just changed the target. If I drop my finger…"

"No!" Robin lowered his bow and put his hands out, begging the Dark One to wait.

Robin's mind raced, trying to think of his options. He'd robbed carriages, snuck into castles, picked the pockets of Queens, and all without being seen. But this, in this, he saw no other way out, no other option, saw no escape route.

_Protect Roland. Protect his daughter. Protect Regina._

"I don't want to… But I will."

He had to choose between his son and his daughter. He had to choose between his loves. For if he didn't, all would surely suffer.

Robin shook, consumed by rage and fear.

"Daddy!"

"Wait. Wait." And with that, Robin stumbled over dirt and his own two feet, grappling for the buried heart.

The choice was made for him.

"Thank you. And, I am sorry. Truly." The Dark One's fingers directed, the arrow flew, and centimeters from Roland's petrified face, it dropped to the ground.

Robin ran to him, clinging to his little body and heaving him up into his arms. "Oh, it's okay. It's okay, boy. You're safe. You're safe," He said, trying to convince Roland and himself.

_Protect Roland. Protect his daughter. Protect Regina._

He'd failed at two.

* * *

When she came through the clearing into his camp and locked eyes with Robin, Regina let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. Roland was in Robin's arms, his grip fierce. He assured his boy that he was safe, rubbing a calloused hand over his back soothingly.

With one look and unspoken words, Regina knew what had happened, and she would never fault him for it. Rumpelstiltskin had threatened his child, and she understood.

Robin put Roland down, asking him to go with Tuck, before walking over to Regina.

Despite her understanding, she needed him to tell her. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry." Robin slowly shook his head. "It's gone."

She took a deep breath. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Luckily, no." He turned to look back at Roland, and she followed his gaze. His eyes came back to guiltily meet hers.

She could tell that this decision hurt him in a way she knew all too well.

"Again, I must apologize. You trusted me, and I let you down." His voice was heavy, his gaze shifted to stare at the ground at her feet.

Regina's composure softened. "No, you didn't," She said, stepping forward and lifting up his chin so he'd be forced to look at her. "Nothing is worth the loss of a child."

"But what about…" Robin's voice faltered as his fingers reached out to touch her and then retracted right before fingertips met the round curve of her stomach. His gaze serious and pained at what he perceived to be his failings as a father.

"Robin, hey," Regina shushed and soothed. It amazed her how quickly they'd both fallen, how trusting and open they were with each other. "I'm fine. The baby is fine. We're both fine." Her eyes are soft before she realizes something else entirely. "But now, we have a problem. I'm alive."

He looked at her. "I don't follow."

She explained, "She has my heart. Gold's taken it for her, and since she hasn't crushed it and killed me, that means she needs it for something far worse."

His eyes widened, and he looked at her in surprise. "Worse than murder? What is she planning?" His fingers do reach for her stomach this time, and her hands meet his on the curve of her belly.

Regina raised her eyebrows and shook her head. Determination swelled in her like a grand force of nature. She straightened up. "It doesn't matter. Because I'm going to stop her."

* * *

"This is all useless crap," Regina yelled, pulling things from the shelves and angrily tossing random junk aside. She was pissed, and mightily so. She was never going to find anything in this god-forsaken mess Rumple called a shop. Just then, a voice called out above the noise, and a red-head appeared from the back.

"Hey, hey. Hey, stop!" Belle yelled above the noise. "Stop it! What… What are you looking for?"

"I need to destroy my sister," Regina called back distracted as she searched through a nearby desk. "She has my heart."

Belle gasped and took a step back.

"Oh, relax." Regina waved away her concern. "She can't control me with it. I protected it from that. The problem is I don't know what she's planning on using it for, which is why I need to take her out." Regina looked around, rubbing her hands together, and then looked at Belle. "That's why I need your help. What do you have here?"

"What do I have here?" Belle gaped at Regina and with venom in her voice told her, "Self-respect. Why on earth or any realm would I help you? The woman who imprisoned me in a tower in her castle, then put me in an asylum for  _twenty-eight_   _years_. The woman who's done nothing but mentally and physically torture me ever since we've known each other."

"Huh, bookworm's got teeth," Regina said, impressed.

An edge crept into Belle's voice, "Get out."

"Yes." Regina sighed but didn't back down from her intended discussion. "I did all those horrible things… In the past, but right now, I need something to defeat the woman who's puppet-mastering your boyfriend. She has your Rumple, and unless you help me, you may never see him again. I'm sorry, Belle. I really, really am."

Belle relaxed a little, then giving in she said, "So, I've been trying to match the ingredients that Zelena's been collecting to whatever spell she intends to cast. It would really help if I knew what is so special about your heart and the baby. Does she just want it because you're sisters, or..."

"I have no idea." Then remembering something that could help her, Regina snapped her fingers. "The candle. Where's the candle?"

Belle looked around unsure of what she was talking about. Lifting up a candle stick holder beside her, she asked, "Here?"

Regina quickly shook her head. She turned and started going through more cabinets and drawers. "Not

that one. The two-sided candle snow used to kill my mother. Where's that?"

Belle understood now what she meant and opened a drawer next to her. Pulling out the candle, she shook her head. "Its power is gone. Now it's just a relic."

"Yes!" Regina smiled, taking the candle from the young woman. "That's it. This isn't about how my mother died. This is about how she lived."

* * *

Despite the late hour, David, Snow, Emma, and Hook gathered around the table in Regina's library. No one was really looking forward to tonight's festivities, but they needed answers and they were willing to try just about anything at this point.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was making this special tea." Regina apologized, pouring the tea into the cups that sat around the table. David reached for one, and Regina yelled out quickly, "No!"

He jumped and looked up at her questionably.

Softening her tone, she said, "Don't drink it. It's a deadly poison for summoning the dark vortex."

"I prefer Earl Grey," David responded, lowering his eyebrows in displeasure.

"The dark what?" Emma asked, her brow furrowed.

"Zelena dropped by my office this morning…" Regina explained.

Snow interjected, "Wait, what were you doing at your office? Aren't you supposed to be staying inside?"

Regina frowned at her and narrowed her eyes. She spoke a little louder when she continued, "She called me pretending to be Emma. I went over there, and while the Dark One was stealing my heart, she was there gloating. She said that my weakness was that I don't know enough about her past, so I've decided to summon someone who does. We have to talk to my mother. It's a fairly simple ritual but not often performed."

"If it's easy to talk to the dead, why not do it more?" David asked.

"Well, because to do it, you need the murder weapon…" Nodding to Snow she finished, "and the murderer."

Snow gasped and, if it were possible, sat up a little straighter.

David sighed. "What do we need to do?"

"Focus on Cora," Regina said plainly.

"Welcoming thoughts?" Hook replied sarcastically.

"Whatever you got." Regina nodded, her eyes temporarily looking down at the table before concentrating on her mother again. She closed her eyes.

"Is it…" Emma started, unsure of what they were doing.

Regina interrupted, "Shh."

After a moment, there was a light breeze which shifted and became a torrent of wind, which swirled all around them and rose up into a vortex above them. There was a deafening crashing sound, and in an instant the portal opened.

Regina looked up in surprise."We did it."

"Cora?" Snow looked up, her hand tightening its grip on Regina's.

"Mother, can you hear us?" Regina called up into the swirling portal above them. "Cora, give us a sign. Do not ignore me now, mother. Please. You owe me this."

They waited, but nothing came from it. Regina held her breath. Where was she? They needed this. They needed answers. Suddenly the table abruptly shifted, and in that moment all concentration was lost, closing the portal.

"Oh!" Hook looked down sheepishly. "Sorry, love. That was me. I crossed my legs and bumped the table."

"Do we try it again?" David asked looking around at them all.

"No. There's no point. It worked. The portal opened, but nothing came from it. She doesn't want to talk to me." Regina sighed and leaned back in her chair. She was just so tired. "Guess whatever secrets lie in her past, she wants to keep buried there."

* * *

As they all left the room to go home for the night, a feeling of failure settled over them all. They were no closer to defeating this witch now than before.

David spoke up with his usual optimism, "Maybe Belle will have more luck. There has to be something that can help us."

"Right." Emma nodded with more confidence in her tone. "My magic gets more powerful every day. By the time this all goes down, I'll be ready."

"Make sure you are," Regina told her flatly.

"Come on, let's go." David took Snow's hand.

"You know what?" Snow told David, pulling out of his grasp. "Go ahead. I'm gonna stay and talk to Regina. I'll help clean up."

David nodded and followed Hook and Emma out.

"I'm not in the mood for a heart-to-heart," Regina said shaking her head. She just wanted to be alone.

"I'm not sure that's physically possible right now," She quipped, a smile pulling at her lips.

Regina appreciated the sass and chuckled lightly. Giving in she offered, "You can help with the tea cups."

* * *

"I want to apologize, Regina," Snow's voice filled the room a while later, and when Regina didn't reply, she barreled on, "For Cora, for..."

"Murdering her?" Regina stood with her back to Snow drying a dish.

"Right." Snow replied, regret evident in her voice. "Yeah, I don't take it lightly. I think about it every day."

"So do I." Regina turned around to face the girl that caused her so much pain, but with one look at Snow, she realized that they all suffered in their own way. Regina glanced down, before continuing, "And… when I do think about it, I remember that she did kill your mother." Her shoulders dropped with a sigh. "So I'll admit that it's complicated."

Tears in her eyes, Snow sniffed. "Thank you. I'm sure you had some things you wanted to say to her."

Regina scoffed. "Yes, well I'm realizing that my mother walled off a lot of her life from me. She wasn't the warmest mother, but at least I thought I occupied a singular spot in her heart." She sighed, sitting down beside Snow. "A sister. Zelena. Why would she give her up? Why would she make us strangers to one another?"

Suddenly there was a large thumping sound from above them.

"What was that?" Snow looked around the room.

"I have no idea." Regina's gaze drew up to the ceiling, to the room above them. "It's upstairs."

Regina and Snow made their way upstairs. Snow in front, on guard and very protective of Regina. She gave a small tilt of her head indicating the door at the end of the hall, where there came another loud noise, followed by screeching.

Snow whispered, "It's in there."

"There isn't anything in this room," Regina said as she hesitantly opened the door, and then both Snow and Regina took a giant step back. This couldn't be. The portal! Cora's spirit turned to them; a menacing look came over her face. "This can't be. The spell opened a limited portal for talking."

"It's me," Snow gasped, shaking her head. Cora's eyes following her, watching Snow's every move. "I killed Cora. She sensed my presence and found a way to bleed through into our world."

"Watch out!" she called out. Regina summoned her magic, creating a barrier to hold back Cora's spirit. She wasn't going to indulge her mother any further. She put herself between Cora and Snow and blocked her path. She stood her ground and yelled, "Back down, mother. You will answer my questions. Now, tell me… what did you do to Zelena?!"

Cora pushed Regina roughly aside, and she braced herself against the wall. Turning back, she saw Cora was dangerously close to Snow. Throwing up her hands, Regina used her magic, and she and Snow appeared a second later downstairs, back in her library.

There was a brief moment of stillness, and then Cora's spirit appeared out of nowhere. Regina quickly shielded them, but she was already weak.

"You're holding her off! "Snow called from behind her.

"But I don't know how much longer I'll last! I can't hold her off forever!" Regina said, her magic holding but growing weaker.

"Cora, I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" Snow begged.

"Save your breath." Regina scoffed, bitterly. "Your mother was nothing like my mother. She only understands power and weakness."

"But if she wants to kill you, she's gonna have to go through me! This isn't about you. This is about her and me. It's time for answers, Mother," Regina demanded, releasing her magic. "What did you do to Zelena?!"

Cora swung and hit Regina, and she collapsed into the desk before falling to the floor. She winced at the pain in her arm, which she used to break her fall. She was fine. The baby was fine. She got to her feet and her mouth fell open in horror. Cora. Snow.

"Mary Margaret! Hold on. I won't let you go," she said before she looked down, summoning up every ounce of magic she had left. With fierce determination, she forced Cora's soul from Snow, summoning the portal and throwing Cora back to where she belonged. She slumped against the table attempting to catch her breath.

It was then that Emma came running into the room. "What the hell was that?!"

"Cora," Regina ground out. Pushing herself away from the table, she went over to Snow's side. "Is she okay?"

"Mary Margaret, can you hear me?" David said, coming into the room and kneeling beside her.

"Cora… Not what we thought," Snow mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Regina sat down in the chair beside Snow.

Snow whispered, "She was trying to communicate."

"She was?" Trying to understand, Regina asked, "What'd she say?"

Snow shook her head agitated. "Leopold, my mother… My mother..."

"Shh." David said, stroking Snow's hair. "Mary Margaret, relax."

"She's not making sense." Emma said, pulling out her cell phone. "We need to call a doctor."

"If she knows something that could help us," Regina encouraged.

"Regina, it's gonna have to wait," David snapped, impatiently.

"It can't wait!" Regina cried. "If we want to stop Zelena, we have to know what the hell she's doing and why!" The room spun then, she stepped to the right and lost her footing. "Woah."

"Regina?!" Emma quickly steadied her and guided her to a chair. "Maybe you're the one that needs to get to a hospital."

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, but maybe she isn't." Emma gestured to Regina's stomach.

Regina shook her head, which was a mistake because it only made her dizzier. "No, we need to stop Zelena. I need to know what she's doing. Otherwise, neither of us will be fine." Regina's hands moved from her head to her stomach, calming her daughter within.

Belle stepped forward. "I can help with half of that."

"What?" Regina looked up sharply at Belle, who stood beside Hook.

"She's planning on going back. Back in time," Belle told them all.

Looks of shock and confusion clouded their faces.

"Are you certain?" Regina stood up from her chair, gripping the back of it tightly. "No one's ever been able to cast a spell to go back in time."

"Well, clearly she thinks she can succeed," Belle assured her. "I mean, brains, courage, and a resilient heart. Those ingredients are in every time-travel spell I've found."

David rubbed his chin in frustration and sighed."Why go back in time? I mean, we have no idea what she's trying to accomplish."

Snow shook her head. "I do… She …she didn't..."

"Don't push yourself," David said, taking her hand.

Snow continued, despite David's protests. "She didn't want to give up Zelena. She was forced to by mm… By my mother. Princess Eva. She told a secret… Just like I did."

"Wait." Emma blinked slowly. "I thought our family members were the good guys."

Regina looked at Emma absently for a moment before responding, "Life is too messy for it to ever be that simple."

"You're saying if it wasn't for Snow's mother, Cora would have kept Zelena," David clarified.

Belle added, "She would have been tutored by Rumpelstiltskin."

Hook shook his head in puzzlement. "All if it weren't for this Princess Eva?"

Emma began, "So that means…"

Snow finished, "Zelena's going back to kill my mother."

Regina looked at Snow. "You'll have never been born."

"I'm guessing this is where your help ends." Emma glanced back at Regina.

Was she serious? Her voice deep and serious, Regina said, "Now, think it through, Ms. Swan. That means you'll have never been born, and neither will Henry."

"And on this different path, Regina, you may not be either," Snow said, softly.

"It's a good thing no one has ever succeeded with this time-travel nonsense," Hook said, relieved.

"The baby." Emma looked up quickly.

Hook looked down at her. "What?"

"That's what's missing," David said, catching on. "That's why none have succeeded. Somehow, some way, your baby, Regina, is the key. Zelena went to a lot of effort to get close to you, and that's why she didn't kill you in the street. That's why she hasn't crushed your heart. That's what she's after."

Belle thought about the situation before asking, "What is she going to do to with...?"

"It doesn't matter," Emma said, stopping Belle from voicing what they were all thinking but didn't want to know. "She's not gonna get it."

"That's right, we're gonna stop her. Since your baby's not born, she's stuck, and we have what we need."

A long silence stretched between. David took a deep breath and said, "Time."

Regina absentmindedly ran a hand over her stomach. She quickly scanned the room before adding, "Just not very much of it."

* * *

"Need a hand?"

Regina looked up from the broken lamp she held in her hand, placing it on the table. She gazed at Snow skeptically. "Shouldn't you be at the hospital?"

"Dr. Whale just left. He cleared me. Apparently, the human body has a surprising tolerance for ghost possession. May I?" Snow asked, taking the broom in the corner of the room.

Regina nodded.

Snow's expression softened. "What about you? How are you holding up?"

"I have a surprising amount of energy right now."

Snow hesitated before asking, "You want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" Regina chuckled, bitterly. "You officially have a less damaging relationship with my mother than I do, and you killed her."

Snow stopped sweeping. "Well, at least we know you and me, our history, it's more complicated than we thought."

"I know how much you looked up to Eva." Regina took a seat at the table, running a hand over her stomach. She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry you had to learn she had such darkness in her past."

"That wasn't the woman I knew," Snow replied, taking a seat next to Regina. "It makes me wonder what happened that changed her. I suppose I'll never know."

"Well, we can never know our past completely. If we had, I probably wouldn't have spent so much time trying to kill you."

Snow's surprised look at Regina's words morphed into one of morbid amusement. "Well, we would've found something to fight about. I mean, I was such a brat."

Regina smirked. "Your mother's child."

Snow studied Regina for a long moment. "I think we've wasted our last day being haunted by the past."

Tears burned in Regina's eyes. This was all so hopeless. She shook her head. "Now we can focus on being haunted by our impending lack of a future."

Snow sat up, indignantly. "Zelena isn't going to win. Not with all of us united against her."

"Hope isn't easy when I know she holds my heart," Regina said, shaking her head slowly.

"Which you'll get back, stronger than ever. That's what it means to be the most resilient."

"That could be another one of her tricks, too."

"Regina, I've seen what life has thrown at you, and you still fight against the darkness every single day. Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness."

She let the tears fall from her eyes. "That doesn't feel possible."

"But it is." Snow grasped Regina's hand, and she took it in both of hers. Her eyes were filled with hope and confidence for the woman in front of her. "I know you, and you feel things  _deeply_. With or without it, you feel things with your  _whole_   _soul_. Don't let anything hold you back."

Regina stared at Snow, and she gasped breaking the moment. "What did you just say?"

Snow was slightly taken aback. "I said, 'Don't let anything hold you back.'"

"No, before that…" Regina sat up, taking her hand from Snow and placing it on her stomach.

"You feel things with your whole soul. Don't let anything hold you back."

Regina swallowed, tears streaming down her face. As the image of him came to her. Of Robin. Of her soulmate.

Why she'd been so willing to open up to a "stranger," a thief whom she'd just met. Why she felt so deeply connected to him, and why she knew without a single doubt that he was the father. Their connection went beyond more than just true love. A person can have many true loves in their lifetime, but there can only be  _one_  soul mate.

That's when Zelena's word's hit her.

In the diner, Zelena had told him,  _"I'm not here for your baby...not yet anyway."_

And in Regina's office, she had said,  _"Oh yes, I know all about your soul mate."_

And that's what Zelena needed.

That's what this was about.

A second chance.

Their daughter would be the final key to her spell.

Getting to her feet, Regina told Snow, "I need to find Robin."

* * *

Regina brushed aside a branch that blocked the path, straining to see by the low light of the moon. She knew she could have just used her magic to get to him, but over the past several days, she had memorized this route. She also needed time to think. How would she tell him?

The glow of the fire reached through the darkness, and she spotted Robin's tent tucked against the trees. She then saw him kneeling by the fire.

"My lady," Robin said, rising to his feet, his heart still heavy at failing to protect her and their child.

He was bathed in shadowed firelight as Regina came to a stop directly in front of him.

His gaze locked with hers, and with a hot, fierce determination, he began, "I'm sorry. I let you down. Your heart was lost to Zelena on my watch, but I promise you, I will get it back," Robin vowed.

His dedication surprised her. It had been a long time since someone had put themselves in danger to save her, a long time since someone had risked losing everything in order to keep her happiness, in order to show her love and care. And, she wanted more, needed more.

Grabbing him by his jacket, she pulled him to her, her lips sought his, and he didn't resist. The hunger they both fought so valiantly to contain burst free. Her ability to think with any level of clarity vanished. After a moment, she pulled away, breathless.

Their first kiss was as breathtaking as she'd imagined it would be. Soulful, deeply moving and alive with possibilities.

But she needed to be closer to him.

As though he could read her mind, Robin stared at her for several heartbeats, and then before she knew what was happening, his lips captured hers in another bruising kiss.

He kissed her deeply and a little more roughly than he'd planned. All rational thought fled them both, and they reveled in the taste of each other, a taste so long imagined and so long denied. They cared for nothing outside of this moment.

Wrapped securely in his arms, Regina felt Robin nibble on her lower lip. She moaned at the new sensation. Her mouth opened wider. Their tongues gently grazed, one over the other, and he groaned, pulling her closer still. His tongue glided over the roof of her mouth. His hand splayed across her lower back, and the other tangled in her hair, holding her as tightly to him as he could with their daughter between them.

Long moments went by, and if it hadn't been for the need for oxygen, ending this heated moment wouldn't have been within her heart's desires. Gently, they pulled out of the kiss, panting lightly.

With their foreheads touching, Regina said softly, "Go, get Roland. We have a lot to talk about, and it'll be safer for us all at my home."

He only nodded a reply as he bent his head to her lips and kissed her again before he left to get his son.


	9. A Curious Time

 

The ride home was quiet. They hit a few bumps in the road, and Robin jerked the steering wheel once or twice, still getting used to maneuvering a vehicle in this realm. He insisted that he drive, couldn't " _fathom how she could fit behind–_ " but her suddenly raised eyebrows halted his speechwriter, and without a second look she handed him her keys before maneuvering herself into the passenger's side.

Regina had to magically conjure a car seat, and she'd laughed when Robin scrunched up his nose, confused by yet another "monstrous contraption." Roland's face had mimicked his Papa's but then turned to wonder as she instructed Robin to place Roland in, and she did the rest from where she sat, with a twist of her wrist and magic. They hadn't had to worry about being "buckled down" in the Enchanted Forest. Only "hop in, hold on, or stay down" in wagons, carriages, and rough rides on the backs of horses. Quick, fast, and carefree. But this was Storybrooke, and there were rules and laws that the thief didn't mind telling her he'd like to break.

Roland fell asleep, tucked safely in the back, minutes after they pulled onto Storybrooke's main road. A silence settled over them and left her far too much space to mentally wander through what-ifs and self-doubt. Worrying about little boys in their car seats, about Wicked Witches and their vendettas, worrying about the baby and Henry, and, even though she wished she didn't, she worries about Snow, Charming, and Emma. And, she's worried about the man sitting beside her, a man who had risked his life, his son's life to guard her heart, to keep a promise. A man who'd stood between her and Rumplestiltskin's magic.

Oh, what he must be thinking now. Regina fiddled with a string on her coat as she let out another deep breath that turned into a sigh. She caught Robin looking at her out of the corner of his eye, but she pretended she didn't see and drifted back into her anxiety and poisonous thoughts. Her mind was so consumed with these thoughts that her hand gripped the armrest tighter, and her knuckles turned white. It occurred to her that maybe, just maybe, she'd misread him.

Her heart pounded in her chest and in her head as they parked her car in her driveway. Robin carefully retrieved his sleeping son and followed her as she waddled and unlocked her front door.

Half an hour later, Regina could hear Robin putting Roland to bed upstairs, while she was in the kitchen preparing tea. The kettle started to whistle, she adjusted the sash on her robe and smoothed her hands over the large curve of her belly, her daughter tumbling within.

She was still mulling over her thoughts, horrid and retched things. What if she was just like her mother? What if she held on too tight? What if her relationship with Robin in the Enchanted Forest wasn't what it appeared to be? After all, who could ever love the Evil Queen?

She knew she was stubborn, snarky, and temperamental. She had to face it. With her evil moniker, she was hardly easy to get along with, and she had to wonder, how the two of them ever made it work? Obviously, they had. Her swollen stomach was proof of that. But she doubted still, and it made her chest hurt.

She tucked her hair behind her ears, wrung out her hands, and bit back tears that were starting to sting her eyes.

She straightened her shoulders when she heard Robin's footsteps on the stairs, attempting to project a positive demeanor. She was determined to appear composed. "Did you want any coffee or tea?" she asked him, clearing her throat.

"No, thank you," he said, as he invaded her space but didn't touch her.

Regina nervously busied her hands with her mug and tea, dunking the diffuser in and out of the steaming water, staining it with a deep swirl of burnt sienna and the smell of apples and cinnamon.

This was too hard.

She concentrated on maintaining a calm exterior as she turned with her cup still in her hand and looked at him, or rather as she looked at his shoulder. She picked a fluff of lint off his shirt, still not making eye contact. Just as soon as her fingers released the lint into the air, he lifted her chin up to him, and he kissed her ever so gently.

"Come on," Robin said, taking her by the hand. He put her tea aside and pulled her with him, leading them into the living room. They sat on the sofa, and she adjusted into a comfortable position, angling her body toward him.

Vulnerability glimmered in her eyes, and Robin lightly pressed, "Regina, tell me."

He hadn't stopped thinking about what had happened to her since they'd returned from the woods.

Her eyes met his; they seemed somehow bluer than she remembered them.

She shifted closer to him. She needed to be closer to him. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes one last time, and then looked into his and asked, "What do you see in me?"

He looked confused and slightly taken aback by her question. As if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world, but it wasn't.

Not to her, and that broke his heart.

It broke his heart that she needed reassurance, that she needed words to calm her fears, that she couldn't accept what she saw in his eyes at face value, that this was for real, that he saw more in her than all the others before him.

He ached for her.

"Hopefully the same thing you see in me, a second chance." His eyes crinkled at the corners with a genuine smile, playfully he added, "And you're quite a good kisser."

She arched a brow at him. "Just wait till I actually have my heart back."

"What is that like?" Robin turned serious and shook his head in wonder. "I mean, can you ..."

"Feel? Yes, I can." Regina sighed, "Just not fully. It's difficult to explain."

"Then don't." He shook his head. Taking her hand, he put it on his chest above his heart. "Use mine for the both of us."

She looked up at Robin with tear-filled eyes, totally exposed to him. As salty pools began to fall, she wondered how this was possible.

"What is it?" He asked, wiping the wetness away from her cheek with his thumb.

Regina tilted her head to the side, cherishing the man in front of her. She smiled, her eyes a mix of happiness and deep sorrow. She placed her hands on his face.

"I just never thought I'd have this," Regina said, and she'd meant it.

Gulping down the lump in her throat, her eyes glistened, overwhelmed by what she was holding in her hands, by what she carried, by what slept peacefully upstairs.

Henry still didn't know her. Zelena still wasn't defeated. They still didn't have their memories back. But, for the first time, in a long time, she had hope, and it terrified her.

The stakes were higher, she had more to lose, and everything to gain if she'd just accepted it.

Robin's eyes were also moist. He let out a breath, both of them quite emotional. He captured her hands and held them. "After I... lost my wife, I felt like that for a long time. Her death was my fault."

"I'm sorry," Regina said sincerely.

"I would have walked through hell to be with my Marian again. When I finally admitted to myself that she was gone and that she was never coming back... I had to let that guilt go."

Robin cleared his throat and caressed Regina's cheek with his thumb, bringing her out of her reverie. A sad smile flickered and died on her face before she continued.

"My first love, Daniel, was killed because of me," Regina's voice cracked, and her eyes showed exactly how painful it was for her to admit. "Because he loved me."

"And that's why you never wanted to open yourself up again." He said as his thumb went back to stroking her tears away.

She looked at his concerned face and her apprehensions about what she was about to tell him mounted. She took a deep breath.

"Tinker Bell told me it was possible, that I could love again. She led me to this tavern, to a man who she said I was destined to be with. I never saw his face, but..." She took his arm, and, pulling the sleeve of his sweater up, she said softly, "I did see his tattoo."

His eyes slowly darkened as Regina told him of a love she was destined to be with. His jealousy surprised him until her soft fingers tickled the surface of the black, inked mark on his arm. "It was me?"

Her smile came back in full force. "Yes. I was just too scared to approach you."

A smile brightened his face, he bit his lower lip and looked into her eyes. "Well, maybe things work out when they're supposed to." He slid his fingers through her hair and tucked a small strand behind her ear. "Maybe it's all about timing."

They sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the dramatic shift that had just taken place in their lives. Robin's hand rested on her stomach; his fingers skimmed across her belly and traced little circles over it. His hand stilled, and something Regina hadn't seen in a long time flickered in his eyes.

Robin knew her completely, as Regina and as the Evil Queen, and he still cared for her.

Before she could sink back into self-doubt, Robin leaned in, sealing her lips with a kiss. Sweet and tender at first, before his tongue lightly ran along her bottom lip. Pleasantly surprised, Regina moaned, her hands finding their way from his cheeks to the collar of his sweater, gripping him more tightly to her.

Forced off balance by her eagerness, Robin anchored his left arm to the sofa, while the other supported Regina's back. His stomach pressed firmly against hers, as close as they could get without being uncomfortable. He sucked on her bottom lip hungrily, and he gently eased her back so she was resting further into the couch cushions. Her silky robe had ridden high up on her leg, and, at this new position, his vision could feast on the rise and fall of her breasts.

Hair splayed out on the pillow beneath her, belly heavy with his child, blushed cheeks and eyes heady with lust.

She was a vision.

With each new, wanted intrusion of his tongue, each new tug on her lower lip, Regina made the most delicious noises, and Robin couldn't help but let out a rough growl. His stubble rubbed against her jaw as he left her lips and trailed kisses to the nape of her neck, nuzzling deeper into her soft, creamy skin, lightly nipping at her earlobe.

She smelled of apples, cinnamon, and vanilla, and Robin decided they're all his new favorites. He can't get enough of her, won't ever be able to get enough of her.

They were both out of breath when she pulled him back to her mouth, hot and heavy, hard and fast, their lips red and bruised. Just when Robin thought to stop, give them both a moment to breathe, thought about the pregnancy and her growing stomach that made it harder for him to get closer to her, Regina let out a startled gasp and her eyes flew open.

He sat up, pulling her forward, concerned until a smile spread across her face, and she let out the most beautiful, heartfelt laugh.

"What?" He said, a grin now spreading across his face as he ran his finger over the back of his neck.

Regina reached for his hand and placed it on her belly. Their daughter was kicking.

They were both quiet for a moment, sitting content with the baby moving beneath their joined hands.

"It won't be long now," Robin said, taking a deep breath, their child's intrusion bringing them down from their high on each other, slowing their breathing.

"No, it won't," Regina said, the smile leaving her face. "Speaking of time, I need to tell you something."

Their faces were both still flushed, but Robin helped her move into a more comfortable position. He began to play with her hair before she started talking again.

"We know what Zelena's planning. She's been collecting ingredients for a spell. A time traveling spell," Regina said, adjusting her robe, pulling it back down to cover her upper thighs.

"She wants to go back in time?" Robin's eyebrows lifted in unease.

"Yes, she thinks if she goes back and kills Snow White's mother, she can change her fate. So my mother, our mother, would have never given her up and –"

"You may never have been born."

She looked up into his very concerned eyes. "Me. Snow. Emma. Henry. All of our futures are in jeopardy if she succeeds."

She felt his hand rub along her stomach. Without needing to say it, he knew she also meant their daughter's life as well.

"So how do we stop her?"

Regina took a deep breath. "To enact this spell, Zelena needs four symbols of power. Rumplestiltskin's mind represents, knowledge. The hilt of David's sword, courage. My resilient heart, strength. And..." She licked her lips and paused.

"And what?"

She smiled sadly, placing her hand over his on her swollen stomach. His eyes followed her gesture, and his ears didn't miss a word as she whispered, "The fourth symbol, which unites them all, innocence. A baby. One unlike any other, because she's born of prophecy." Regina's eyes traveled to his tattoo again. "A baby born from soul mates. Conceived from fate. Our daughter's soul is the last and most important ingredient."

Their eyes locked, and she could see a storm of emotions swirling within him, emotions that she'd only previously seen in his eyes after Rumplestiltskin had stolen her heart.

"Our daughter?" He inquired. "You're certain?"

Regina knew he wasn't asking about the spell or the role their daughter played in it. "Yes." She nodded and watched as his face slowly changed as he realized what she meant.

He was filled with joy, fear, and all the anxieties he felt when he first found out Marian was pregnant with Roland. He'd known, or felt, for a while now that he and Regina were more than strangers. Could feel his heart beat for her and had hoped that he was hers and she was his, had hoped they'd created a life together during that pesky missing year.

But this, this was the first time either of them had called the baby  _their_  daughter out loud. This was the first time Regina had voiced exactly what he knew all along.

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life," she said.

His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his face broke into a wide smile. Robin drew her to him, breathed her in, and held her tightly. He was elated, but he battled also with a sense of fear and deep-seated worry.

"Zelena won't win. No harm shall come to our daughter or you." Pulling back, he cradled her face in his hands, much like she'd done to him earlier. "I swear to you, I will protect you both." He would not fail this time.

His conviction, his assurance held steadfast, and as much as she wanted to believe their love, his love could stay Zelena, she knew better.

She brought her mouth to his, and they kissed for some time. Robin swallowed her moan, and Regina played with the hem of his shirt as her lips moved with his. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, bringing her body close so that she was pressed as firmly against him as space would allow. One of his hands tangled in her hair, and the warmth of his soft, full lips completely filled her senses. Their mouths opened to each other again, and again, and again.

It'd been a long day for them both, so after a few moments, he broke the kiss. "Let's get you to bed, milady."

"Lead the way." Regina stared at him for several heartbeats, mouth parted, still breathing heavily.

* * *

Robin woke late in the morning with Regina curled up in his arms. The sun's beams steamed through the windows of her home. He heard birds chirping outside. Deciding that this was an opportunity too good to waste, he let his hand rub over her abdomen, being careful not to wake her. A sense of joy filled him as he thought about the life inside Regina.

His daughter, their daughter.

It was something he dared not imagine before, but now it gave him a new sense of purpose that he had only felt once before but never believed he would again.

He and Regina held grave concerns for them all, and what their futures would be, but they were duty bound now to continue with their quest, and if luck and the gods were on their side, they would beat the Wicked Witch.

The baby moved under his hand, and Robin's breath caught. He watched her stomach in awe as he concentrated and waited for another movement, hoping their little one did not wake her beautiful mother.

"With that look on your face, I hope that's me you're thinking about."

His smile widened, she was awake. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Robin teased.

She quirked her brow and gave him a look that surprised him. It was as if some part of her doubted where his heart lie, even now. Robin shook his head in amazement as he leaned forward and drew her closer. He gently cupped her face as his lips descended to hers. His fingers slowly traced their way back to her neck and threaded up into her hair, pulling the kiss even deeper.

Regina adjusted her weight, and he noticed her wince.

"Are you alright?" He was worried about her and the baby. They hadn't planned on last night, but one thing had led to another and they'd been unable to stop themselves.

"I'm fine. Just a little bit sore," she said before she wiped away the worry on his face with kisses and a smile that could light any room.

They stayed that way, with gentle kisses and caresses as Robin felt their daughter move against his hand. With one final kiss, she laid her head against his shoulder, and he rested his head against hers. Closing his eyes, he thanked the gods once more for bringing her to him.

"Robin?" Regina asked so softly that Robin had to look over at her to be sure she'd spoken.

He'd almost fallen asleep, and he inhaled sharply before blinking his eyes to adjust them to the light once again. "Yes?"

"You know, we're going to have to start thinking of names for this little one soon."

Robin smiled. Even the mention of names made it all the more real for him, all over again. They were having a baby, a daughter, together. All his dreams of a family were coming true. Well, most of them. And, in time, when he and Regina regained their memories, all of his dreams might be realized.

"Robin?" she whispered, moving closer to him.

"Hmm?"

Regina moved her hand to his cheek and looked deeply into Robin's eyes. Then suddenly, Regina took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was pregnant with his child. Now was the time for truths, all of them. And if not now, when?

When she returned her gaze back to Robin, he looked up at her and saw a look in her eyes that was different from any he had seen there before. "What is it?" he whispered.

"I told you that I care about you," she said softly. Robin nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "But it's so much more than that. I love you."

Robin smiled at this incredible woman. She was strong and audacious, bold, and beautiful, and he thanked the gods he finally found her. Robin pulled her into his arms, and she did not resist.

After a moment, Robin moved his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Regina, you must know, I am madly and completely in love with you."

She smiled to herself, enjoying the feel of Robin's arms around her.

Smiling, he pulled back, cupping her face between his hands, studying her carefully. He stroked one hand over her pregnant belly, and then looked up at her, his eyes full of love and hope.

"After Marian, I only had room in my heart for my son. You asked me what I saw in you. Well, truthfully, I see myself. We both have darkness in our pasts, Regina, but in you, I've found everything. It may seem fast now, but, like you, I can't help but feel we've been through much more than we know."

Regina felt the sting of hot tears as she looked at his dear face. "I don't deserve you, you know, but I'm so glad you love me." Her fingers drifted over the lines of his face and slid around his neck, pulling his face towards her. Just before his lips met hers, she whispered again, "I love you." She kissed him deeply, pouring her heart and soul into it and pressing against him.

"Daddy! Regina!"

Pulling apart, Robin sighed, hearing his son's call from the other room. His head falling into the crook of her neck. He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. "I best go get him. Stay in bed and get some rest."

She watched him leave and rested her hand on her belly, wiping away her remaining tears, soothing her baby girl, who she still blamed for her rollercoaster emotions.

Her daughter was doing flips and kicking persistently in her ribcage. The birth's anticipation had taken a backseat to outwitting her sister, and she was still trying not to think about it.

Glancing at the clock, it was still early, but the sound of laughter drifting to her ears from downstairs pulled her from the comfort of her bed. She decided she was going to spend the morning with Robin and Roland until it was time to meet everyone. She flung the covers back and heaved herself up. God, she was so tired. It didn't seem to matter how much sleep she got these days, she woke every morning desperate for more.

Regina stretched as she stood, a niggling backache had interrupted her sleep, waking her a few hours before Robin, but she'd been ignoring it, figuring it would go away eventually.

* * *

Tying her bathrobe around her, Regina smiled at the large spread of breakfast foods on the kitchen table. "What's all this for?"

Robin pulled out a chair for her. "Milady has to eat."

Regina smiled. "You made all this?"

"With Roland's help," he said, sitting across from her.

"You helped?"

Roland smiled up proudly. "Yep!"

"That's sweet, thank you." Regina smiled. Extremely hungry, she wasn't shy about diving in. She was happy, very happy. Last night and today had been very quiet, and she was slowly realizing that she now had a family and was about to have a daughter. It seemed surreal to her.

They enjoyed their meal, chatting happily with Roland throughout.

As they started to clean up, Regina rinsed the dishes while Robin and Roland cleaned off the table. Robin moved to put something in the sink beside her, his body almost flush with Regina's.

"Do you want some help with that?" He asked against her neck, nuzzling the soft skin just under her ear. Just then the doorbell rang, and glancing towards the door, he chuckled.

Regina turned and smiled. "We seem to keep getting interrupted this morning. Maybe we should just leave them out there." She trailed her fingers up his shirt.

Robin guffawed and wrapped his arms around her. "What exactly is milady suggesting? Either way, it seems a win-win as far as I'm concerned. On one hand, I get breakfast. And, on the other, I get to start with dessert." Robin's eyebrows rose playfully. "However, when we do start removing our clothes, I don't fancy an audience. Something tells me these Charmings are persistent."

Smiling, her lips met his in a gentle kiss, her arms stealing around his shoulders, her nose briefly brushing the tip of his. Sighing as she pulled away, she nibbled at his luscious bottom lip for a moment before mumbling against his mouth, "I suppose you're right."

Robin groaned out "tease." He smiled, quickly kissing her hand, and excused himself to get the door.

He returned with Snow, David, and Emma trailing behind him. They all paused in the doorway.

Snow walked in a few steps and grinned at the happy pair.

Regina looked blissful and Robin looked… " _Ooooh,"_  thought Snow. Robin looked ever so much the protective boyfriend as he stood close beside Regina with his arm around her and his hand resting gently but possessively on her hip.

Snow had the distinct feeling that if anything or anyone looked sideways at Regina or his unborn child, he wouldn't hesitate to do them a great deal of damage. It was very sexy, and Regina was obviously very happy to bask in his possessiveness.

The man was a keeper.

"Morning." Snow said brightly with the biggest smile Regina had ever seen.

"Good morning," Regina replied. Robin pulled out a chair for her, she sat back down at the table, and Roland took the opportunity to crawl up on her lap.

"Hi, Roland." Snow looked from him to Regina to Robin. Glee written all over her optimistic face. "Regina, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all the perfect little family."

"Mmm, well, if you'd like to join us, you should sit down." Regina quipped, annoyed by Snow's overly cheery disposition at her expense. "I'm still exhausted, and I'd like us to get started?"

"Ah, and with that… come along Roland. The plot is afoot, and you need not hear of it." Robin took the boy from Regina. "Good luck," he said, leaning down he kissed her and left the room. "Now my boy, let's see if we can figure out the television."

Snow quirked her brow, a glint of what could be called amusement shimmering in her eyes.

Regina crossed her arms over her chest. "Snow. Please."

"We were waiting for Hook," Emma said.

Regina raised an eyebrow and huffed. "I don't have time to wait for the handless wonder. We have to figure out how to destroy my sister."

"For once, I agree with Regina. Stopping her plan is the priority." David nodded.

Emma turned to look at Regina. "There's one thing about this plan that doesn't fit – Regina."

"I'm the point of it." She gestured at herself. "So she can take my life for herself."

"Yes, but why bring you back to Storybrooke? Why bring any of us?" Emma asked.

"Well, no one's ever succeeded at traveling through time." Regina put her arms on the table and leaned forward in thought. "Perhaps something from this world makes it possible, but what's almost as troubling is that she was able to cast the curse – to bring us all here in the first place."

"Why is that?" Emma said taking a seat at the end of the table.

"To do it, you have to give up the thing you love most." Regina shook her head. "From what I gather, Zelena doesn't love much."

Emma looked pointedly at Regina. "Neither did you. You managed."

"Zelena's smart, strategic. Perhaps we discovered something in the missing year to stop her," David offered, leaning against the wall.

Snow straightened up beside him. "And the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us back here and wipe our memories. So if we get our memories back, we might already know how to defeat her," she finished hopefully.

David sighed. "We just need to break this curse."

"Well, thank goodness we have a savior." Snow said looking over at Emma.

Emma looked around at them all. "I would love to, but there's one problem. Since I've been back, I've done both and nothing."

Regina gasped sitting up. "It's the belief. Henry, he needs to believe. In this new life, he doesn't. We have to get him to believe again."

"So, what?' Emma's brow furrowed. "We put on a magic show?"

She had a point. Regina thought for a moment. "How did you believe?"

"The book, the storybook," Emma said.

Regina pointed at her knowingly. "That's what started Henry on his original path and what got you to believe. It's the key in him believing, in him remembering… remembering everything."

He'd remember Storybrooke, the last three years. He'd remember Pan, Felix, and her. He'd remember the good and the bad.

"That's not necessarily a gift. He's been through a lot of tough stuff," Emma said warily.

"And some good stuff," Regina shot back. "Either way, it's our best bet."

"She's right," Snow agreed.

"I know," Emma admitted. "Let's find it."

"I'll get dressed and meet you at the diner." Regina stood and headed to the stairs.

* * *

"That was Belle," David said closing his phone. "No book in the shop."

They all met at Granny's an hour later, Robin and Regina leaving Roland at the house in the care of Friar Tuck.

"Regina, you said the last place you saw it was Henry's room." Snow glanced over at her.

Regina shook her head. "Yes, but it's not there. Swept away by the last curse." She moved her right hand over her back and added pressure, still aching from this morning.

Emma threw out her hands aggravated. "A book can't just disappear."

Snow closed her eyes. "But it can just appear. The first curse. It just showed up in my closet when I needed it, or more accurately, when Henry needed it."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked.

"He was going through a rough time. He was realizing he had been given up. He didn't feel like he had a real family," Snow said gently.

Regina took a moment to find composure before replying, "He did."

Robin massaged her back in support.

"That may be." Snow nodded, now realizing the nature of her concern. "But, Regina, he wasn't feeling that way with you or with anyone. He needed to believe in happy endings again. That's what the book gave him."

"Well, he needs to believe again." Regina looked around at them all. "In fact, I think we all do. What do you say we go check your closet?"

* * *

Emma walked up to the counter where Henry sat chatting with Leroy. "Hey, kid. I got to run. I got to check on a lead. You okay to stay here longer?" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and not waiting for an answer told him, "Call you later."

They were all outside when the diner door opened, and Henry's voice called out, "Where are you really going?"

Everyone stopped.

Emma turned back to her son. "I told you. I'm following a lead."

"What lead?" he asked, not backing down.

"It's my job," Emma stammered. "It's complicated."

Henry replied, "Is this about the person who killed my dad?"

"Yes," Emma answered honestly.

"Then tell me," he demanded.

Emma looked around at everyone, then back at Henry. "I – it would just be easier once it's all solved, Henry."

Regina watched from the sidelines. Robin, noticing her unease, stood beside her, taking her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You've been lying to me ever since we got here. I deserve to know everything," he said, his voice rising.

"No, you don't!" Emma snapped. "I'm your mother, and I know best! So you're just gonna have to deal with this for now, okay? Understood?"

"Yeah, I… I think I do," Henry said, chastened.

Regina turned away, wanting nothing more than to go to her son.

Emma turned to leave.

"Wait," Henry called out. "I… I need your keys. I left mine in the room, and if I'm gonna be a prisoner, I'd like to have my game boy."

* * *

"Why do women keep their shoe boxes?" David wondered aloud at the boxes piled on Snow's bed.

"Because after true love, there is no more powerful magic than footwear. It has to be protected," Snow said seriously, helping Emma pull things from the closet.

David met Robin's look from across the room, Robin shrugged and said, "They make no more sense in this realm than the other, mate."

David snorted, but went back to his task as he noticed a glare from his wife.

"Any sign of the book?" Emma asked from her spot on the floor.

"No, I don't think it's here," David told them, finding nothing but more shoes.

Snow's voice called from deeper inside the closet, "You don't know that!"

"Maybe it's in this thing," Emma said, carrying a large chest out to the bed. "Some winter coats, some scarves. The book isn't in here."

"Hang on." Snow curiously looked at it. "Let me check."

Shifting some clothes inside it around, everyone watched as Snow pulled out the book.

Emma sat up. "I don't understand."

"Can I see that?" Regina said, moving her hands away from the small of her still aching back. She took the book from Snow. "I know there are chapters on Oz in here. I want to know whose heart Zelena crushed to enact this curse. Because if there's something she loved, that's her weakness."

"Let's go find Henry."

* * *

Emma walked back into the diner. "He's gone."

Regina stood up from the barstool a bit awkwardly in her haste. "What do you mean, 'gone'?"

Emma pulled out her cell phone. "I mean he's not in the room, he's not in the parlor, and my car keys are missing."

Regina sighed and looked at Robin with a worried expression. Turning back to Emma, she said, "Give me something of his. I'll try a locator spell."

"I'm way ahead of you. I've got GPS on his phone." After a moment, Emma stated, "He's at the docks."

* * *

David and Robin took point as the group moved into the old building at the docks. Regina forced down the gnawing sense of dread over what she suspected they'd find when they got there. They acted, and in a matter of seconds, as Robin kicked in the door they all ran inside.

Emma drew her gun, her eyes found Henry and shouted, "Henry, go!"

David drew his sword as a monkey came at him. He threw it straight, and as it struck the heart of the beast, it combusted into ash.

"I never liked pets," Regina said, flanked by Robin, who had his crossbow at the ready.

Summing up fire in her palm, she threw it and one of the winged creatures let out a violent shriek as it was engulfed in flames.

Once the chaos calmed and they were sure there were no more flying monkeys, Emma ran to Henry.

"Henry! Are you okay?"

He got up shakily from the ground. "Yeah, what were those things?!" His eyes wide as he looked over at David. "Why does he have a sword?"

"It's all gonna make sense in a minute. I promise," Emma said, taking the book from Snow, who appeared beside her.

Henry shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry I was keeping things from you. You were right. You deserve to know the truth." She held the book out to him.

"About fairy tales?" He looked around at everyone confused. "I don't understand."

"Do you trust me?" Emma asked.

Henry sighed. "Yes, of course, I do."

"Then I need you to believe," she told him.

"Believe in what?" Henry cried.

"Believe in magic."

He shook his head. "From a book?"

"It's more than just a book," Emma whispered to him. "Do you believe in me?"

"Yes," he told her without hesitation.

"Then take it," Emma urged.

Regina watched with baited breath as Henry took the book from Emma. Once his fingers connected with its surface, she could tell by the look in his eyes he was reliving every thought, every memory.

His eyes focused, and he looked up at Emma. "Mom?"

His gaze found Regina. "Mom!"

Regina smiled. He remembered. She ran to him, pulling him into a hug.

He pulled back smiling at her. "I remember!"

"I remember!" Henry said, turning back to Emma who nodded at him.

Regina put her hands on Henry's shoulders. "Do it, Emma. Break the curse."

Emma nodded. Leaning forward, she was just about to kiss his forehead when he disappeared before her.

Everyone looked around in confusion until they heard a menacing voice from behind them.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt." Zelena smiled, holding Henry to her, the dagger held to his throat. Zelena titled her head to the side and asked imploringly, "Now, who wants to say goodbye first?"

"Who are you?" Henry asked attempting to look back at her, terrified.

"You can call me Auntie Zelena," She said sweetly.

Regina held up her hand, summoning a fireball. "Enough of this." she started towards Zelena, but she was hit out of nowhere by one of Zelena's spells. She roughly hit the ground, the wind knocked out of her, a stab of pain split through her lower back, and blackness engulfed her.

* * *

_"Mom, please, wake up! Mom!"_

_"Regina... open your eyes, my love. Come on, that's it."_

She could hear the voices, but they were distant. She felt groggy. She didn't want to open her eyes, but the voices continued. Couldn't they understand she just wanted to sleep a little while longer? However, the voices wouldn't stop, and she hesitated while she forced her mind to focus.

"Mom!"

"Henry..." Regina groaned as a pain shot through her head and back. "Robin?"

"We're both here, Regina."

"Mom."

Her vision cleared, and Henry's face above her came into focus. "Oh, Henry," she said, reaching up to touch her son's face. Robin took her arms and helped her to her feet, taking notice of her slight wince and hiss as she stood.

Regina took Henry into an embrace, hugging him tightly to her. Pulling away from him, she took his face in her hands. "I will never let you go away again. I promise. I love you, Henry."

Her lips kissed his forehead, and she gasped as True Love's kiss poured out from it. The magic spread out in all directions, sending a tidal wave of light and color throughout town, finally breaking the curse.

She remembered. She remembered everything.

Emma looked up at Regina with wide searching eyes. "It wasn't me. It was you."

She caught Robin's eyes, which were burning into her. Those wonderfully, now very familiar, warm blue pools of compassion and understanding took her breath away. Closing the distance between them, he gripped her shoulders, and suddenly, she was in his arms, his lips on hers. He pulled back, hugging her to him in a fierce embrace. "Thank God," he breathed.

She held tight to him, keeping him close. "I knew it was you."

"I've got you. I'll never let you go, milady."

Her eyes moist, she nodded.

"Mom?" Henry was looking up at them. "You're... but...," he stammered, confused.

She took a shaky breath and took his face in her hands. "I promise, I'll explain it all soon."

Emma looked at her parents. "Mary Margaret, David, did it work? Do you remember the missing year?"

"Yes." Snow nodded.

David smiled. "Everything."

Emma impatiently asked, "How did Zelena cast the curse?"

"She didn't, Emma." Snow shook her head slowly at her daughter. "We did."

Emma looked at her in disbelief. "You cursed yourselves?"

"Zelena's weakness is light magic," Snow confirmed. "I mean, it's clear now, more than ever, you are the only one who can defeat her."

David nodded. "That's why we paid the price of Regina's curse to find you."

Emma looked back and forth between her parents. "The price of the curse is the heart of the thing you love most. If one of you cast it, how are you both still here?"

* * *

Tell me about New York. I want to hear it all, the entire year," Regina said as they all walked arm in arm down the docks.

Henry stopped and turned to her and Robin. "No, first, tell me about what I missed here."

Regina smiled up at Robin. "Nothing much."

Henry groaned. "Come on, mom! You're having a baby? What happened in the Enchanted Forest?"

Regina chuckled at her son's enthusiasm. "Wait, slow down…"

Henry interrupted, his eyes wide. "Hold on a minute, but you're ... we met in the park...you're Robin Hood."

Robin held out his hand. "At your service."

Shaking his hand in awe, he replied, "Awesome!" He questioned again, "Wait, are you guys married?"

Robin, who bit his lip grinning, looked down at Regina with raised eyebrows.

"Let's stay focused on New York, for now," Regina told Henry.

"No way, this is so much cooler!"

A twinge in her lower back caught her off guard, and Regina jolted slightly and gasped. She closed her eyes, and her hand automatically moved to the small of her back.

Robin noticed. "Regina?"

Regina grabbed Robin's hand as a sharp pain shot through her from her front and then down the back of her legs.

"Mom?"

Robin caught her as she doubled over and painfully gasped between gritted teeth.

"It's the baby. She's coming."

"Deep breaths, Regina. Take deep breaths," Robin told her, holding her to him. He nodded to Henry. "Henry, go fetch the others. We need to get Regina home."

Henry nodded and took off back towards the building.

"I don't have time for that," Regina growled. Bringing her hands up, she and Robin disappeared in a cloud of purple and white.


	10. Quite a Common Fairy Tale

They appeared a moment later, and as the purple and white smoke cleared, Robin looked around the room instantly on guard. He didn't recognize his surroundings. They didn't appear, as he had thought, at the hospital or even in Regina's house. Instead, they stood in what seemed to be another dwelling of some kind.

There were no widows, only a fireplace in the small kitchen, a living area, and a long hallway. If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Regina, love," He started, kneeling beside her crouched form. "Where are we?"

Suddenly another person appeared in the room wide eyed and smiling. "Well, it took you long enough."

Robin looked up at the blonde, instantly recognizing her from the diner. "Tinker Bell?"

"Hello, Robin." She nodded to him in a warm greeting.

Regina let out a long, slow breath, and straightening up, she put her hand on Robin's shoulder.

"It's alright, we're safe here," She assured him with a nod to the fairy.

"Here? Where's here?" Robin looked around.

"Actually, you're a lot closer to home than you think." Tink smirked up at him. "We're just inside the forest, in an enchanted tree. The fairies made it once their magic started returning after the first curse was broken. It has many spells and enchantments placed around it. No one can find it. No one can enter without permission. No one even knows it exists."

"We're inside a tree?" He looked around skeptically.

Regina groaned and leaned against Robin. "I'm sorry, but can we focus on me and not the damn tree," she said while blowing a breath out through her pursed lips.

Tinker Bell shot a look at her. "A bit testy, aren't we?" Regina glared at her, but the fairy was unaffected. "Come on. Let's get you more comfortable shall we? We have everything you need in your room."

"You had this planned all along, and you didn't tell me?" Robin asked, looking down at Regina.

She looked up at him in pained exasperation. "We  _just_  got our memories back, and up until last night – "

She didn't get a chance to finish her thought as another contraction hit her. This one stronger than all the others, nearly knocking her to her feet, but Robin's sturdy hands held her up. Regina grabbed a hold of his jacket and put her forehead on his chest as she waited for the pain to subside, gritting her teeth together.

Once it did, she carefully righted herself, with Robin's help, and glanced back at Tink. Holding her head high, the ever regal Queen said, "You mentioned something about a room? Let's get this over with."

Tink laughed and snorted as she walked over to Regina. She hugged her, then bent down, and, placing her hands on Regina's belly, she said, "I'm looking forward to meeting you, little one. You be gentle with your mama, alright?"

Tink stood back up and asked, "How long has it been?" She grinned at Regina and helped her into the other room.

"Not long and the contractions are erratic." Regina shrugged.

Robin stepped closer to her, offering support. He used one of his hands to guide her down the hall after Tink, and the other he used to hold her hand.

Tink lead them through the hollows of the massive, magical tree. They were halfway to the room when Regina gasped and immediately let of go Robin's hand, clutching her stomach. A sharp pain shot deep within her belly. She clamped her eyes shut and waited out the burning that rushed through her, counting internally through another pain. Robin rubbed her back until it ended.

Entering the bedroom, Regina gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, and Tinker Bell handed her a midnight blue, sleeveless night gown.

"I'll let you both get settled," Tinker Bell told them. "I'm going to go tell Blue and the others. They'll want to know so they can be on the lookout. I'll be back soon."

"Hang on," Robin called out as the fairy turned to leave. "My son, can you..."

"Don't worry." Tinker Bell put a hand on his arm. "I'll make sure he's safe."

"Thank you."

She nodded and left the room.

Regina looked up at Robin, breathing heavily. "He'll be fine."

He kneeled down beside her. He leaned in and gently swept a stray strand of hair from her forehead. Beads of sweat were beginning to gather at her temples and along her hairline. Robin knew this was the beginning of a very long night to end a very long day.

"Can I get you anything?" He said, rubbing his thumb along her cheek.

She shook her head. "No, but you can help me change."'

* * *

Tinker Bell returned twenty minutes later with Blue, Roland, and Friar Tuck, who refused to give up the child unless he spoke directly with Robin. Rather than upsetting the child as they were doing, they decided to bring them both along.

Regina turned to look at Robin, and he took her chin in his hand and kissed her gently. "Go check on Roland." She motioned to the door, withholding a wince.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I've got Tinker Bell here, go."

Robin took her face gently in his hands and touched his forehead to hers. "I love you. Even though sometimes you make me angrier than anyone else has ever had the power to do, I love you more than I've loved anyone."

Regina smiled at him, and her eyes were moist. "Don't think you're out of the forest, thief. I'm sure I'll make you angry plenty of times yet."

Robin grinned at her. "I have no doubt about that, Majesty." He kissed her again on the lips, on her nose, and then on the top of her head, breathing her in before letting her know he'd be right back.

"I'll be right here," Regina said, swallowing a lump in her throat, her hand, out of his eye line, fisting in the sheets. He swept the hair away from her brow. "What have I done to deserve you?" he asked.

"Don't feel so lucky," Regina said with a mischievous look in her eye. "Fate probably figured you're the only one who can put up with me."

Robin laughed before he turned and left the room.

* * *

Robin returned fifteen minutes later and Regina had already progressed quite a bit; her water already broken. It worried him how fast it was going. With Roland, Marian was in labor for well over a day, and her labor did not start out as heavily as this seemed to be. The only assurance it gave him was that it wouldn't be too much longer now.

Blue came into the room carrying a few blankets and baby clothes with her.

"The other fairies thought you could use these." Blue smiled, setting them down lightly on a side table.

"Definitely," Tinker Bell returned.

Regina met the head fairy's eyes and took a deep breath. "'Thank you," she said. Her eyes closed once again as she paced the room. Grimacing she stopped in her tracks, placed her hand on the wall for support, and moaned.

She hadn't wanted to be touched between contractions, but Robin watched on edge, ready to be by her side the moment she needed him.

"Another one?" Robin asked, and she nodded holding out her hand to him. He pushed himself away from the wall and went to stand beside her.

She gripped his hands and clenched down. Gasping in pain, she held her breath.

"Breathe, Regina. Breathe," Tinker Bell encouraged, coming up behind her and rubbing her back.

She shook her head and held her breath as long as she could. She then exhaled and drew in a sharp breath of air until the contraction was over as she relaxed against Robin in exhaustion.

"Regina, are you sure your labor only just started?" The green fairy asked concerned.

Regina shook her head. "I'm not sure. The real pain hit at the docks, but I suppose it could have started this morning. I thought it was just a backache."

Robin looked down at her aghast. Of course it started this morning; only she would suffer in silence. He cursed her stubborn nature. "It started this morning? Why didn't you tell me?" His brow furrowed.

She growled up at him, "I didn't know that's what it was!" Regina pushed herself away from him again. Choking back a sob, she began pacing again.

Tinker Bell touched Robin's arm and whispered, "You're going to have to help her. She's not managing this well."

"What can I do?"

Tinker Bell looked at him in startled bewilderment. She hissed lowly, "You've been through this once before, haven't you?"

Robin ran a hand frustratingly through his hair. "The midwife never allowed me in."

Tinker Bell shook her head. "Well you've got to get her to concentrate on her breathing. It will help with the pain and the baby."

"My God, will this never end?" Regina cried from the other end of the room, bracing herself against the wall. She groaned as pain and pressure the likes of which she never experienced before squeezed her middle.

Robin was instantly at her side and took her into his arms. Her fist came down on his chest curling into his sweater as the next contraction bared down on her. Robin held her as she curled into the pain, breathing as best she could.

"You're doing great," Robin breathed out against her temple, rubbing long, soothing strokes down her back.

She nodded and braced herself, not trusting her voice. Focusing on her breathing and Robin's touch made all the difference.

After the pain receded, Regina pulled away from him. Her heated gaze drifted to Tinker Bell.

"I need a time frame," she suddenly barked. "How many more of these things?"

"Just a little while longer," Tinker Bell soothed as she gathered her long hair and tied it back into its messy bun.

"No." Regina shook her head and started pacing again. "I need more than that."

"I can't tell you, exactly." Tinker Bell handed Robin a cool, damp washcloth. "This is for her forehead and neck."

He started towards Regina and brought the cloth to her forehead, but she pushed it away. "Do not  _touch_  me," She hissed at him, right before she was seized by another gripping pain.

Regina cried out in agony, pushing herself further away from Robin. She lowered herself to her knees, one arm clinging to the edge of the bed, her forehead buried in the mattress, while her other hand was gripping the underside of her stomach.

Tinker Bell came over and rubbed Regina's back and encouraged, "Slow down. Deep in, slow out."

"Shhhhh," Regina commanded through clenched teeth. "Stop," she panted. "Telling me," she gasped. "To breathe."

Tinker Bell straightened, an idea coming to her. "Robin, I suggest you sit behind Regina on the bed and support her back. These are coming fast, and I think she's going to need to push soon."

He nodded, removing his extra sweater and boots. Regina blinked up at him as he leaned down, bent from his knees, wrapped his arms under her legs and around her back, and lifted.

Regina winced. She knew what she must look like. Tears leaked out of her eyes, her hair was messy in its high bun, strands of it wisped out all over. She felt sticky, everything hurt, and the pressure that was building with each contraction was almost, but not quite, unbearable.

Robin gently placed her on the bed. She gave him a tired, weak smile, and put her hand on his. But, her smile was quickly replaced with another grimace as she cried out in pain and a new contraction took her.

Tinker Bell was instantly at her side, "Breathe, Regina. You've got to breathe."

"Shhhhhh…. Mmmmm." Regina started breathing deeply, pausing every few breaths. When it was over, she said, "Shut up, moth!"

Tinker Bell ignored her and said, "Robin, sit with your back against the wall."

He did as she asked. Sliding onto the bed, he settled in behind Regina. Tinker Bell helped the groaning former Evil Queen scoot in between his legs, both of Robin's knees propped up around her, offering support. The contraction over, Regina collapsed into Robin's chest. He situated his arms under hers and covered her belly with his hands. With no more time in between contractions, she immediately grabbed onto his hands. He felt her stomach tighten, muscles clenching, and he whispered in her ear, "It'll be alright, love."

Regina closed her eyes again. When she opened them back up, tears fell, and she whispered, "Robin, I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. I promise." Robin lowered his head to the side of hers as the next contraction hit her and calmly said, "Breathe with me." He took slow, deep inhalations and then blew them back out just as slow. It took her a moment, but she eventually matched his pattern.

When the pain subsided, she relaxed her head back onto his shoulder for a minute and then looked up. Her eyes were red and tired, she was very pale.

Her eyes searched his. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

He exhaled dramatically, relief flooding him, and he chuckled. "Yeah, I'm alright. Thankfully, you are too."

"That's a matter of opinion."

Closing his eyes, he snuggled against her. "But you will be." Quietly, he whispered, "You really had me terrified, you know. I thought I'd really lost you. No more curses."

Regina gave him a half-hearted laugh. "You'll get no arguments from me."

He rested his lips against her temple, his chest shaking from silent laughter. "That'll be a first." He breathed with pure relief.

She chuckled, but it turned into another pained groan. "Here it comes." She gripped his hands, her body tensing through the contraction.

"Relax." Robin started his slow breathing again and Regina joined him. He had an idea to help soothe her. "Do you know when I first fell in love with you, my lady?" His nickname for her whispered into her ear.

Tink even perked up a bit, having never heard this story.

"Yes." Regina exhaled, her breath and voice shaky. "You said it was after I saved Roland from that flying monkey." Regina's grip on his knees tightened as she breathed through the end of her contraction. "I said, I don't run from monsters. They run from me." She laughed weakly.

Robin shook his head slightly, his chin brushing against the side of her face.

"I love you for many reasons, Regina, but I fell in love with you that evening in the courtyard. The night you agreed to danced with me under the stars." Robin soothed her as contractions built and built, preparing her body for what was to come. He calmed with whispers and feather like touches. "When the princess sent me out to find you that night, I never thought –" He cleared his throat. "I'd never thought you'd looked more beautiful than you did that night."

His hands massaged her back, and she groaned through another pain. Sweat plastering their clothes to their bodies. Heat building between them. "Until now that is."

Regina chuckled. "You're such a terrible liar."

"I may be a thief, but I never lie. Especially to you," Robin told her while he used a wet rag to wipe her brow.

Tinker Bell smiled. "You see, Regina, I told you, pixie dust never lies. And, on that happy note, I almost forgot. I have something for the two of you."

Tink reached into the bag of pixie dust at her waist. She rummaged around before pulling out two matching rings. "Don't think I forgot about these. When you broke the curse, they were the first things I checked on." The fairy handed them to Robin.

He held them in the palm of his hand before smiling down at Regina.

"Thank you, Miss Bell." Robin said, sliding his wedding ring back onto his finger.

"You better hold onto mine," Regina said wincing. She remembered giving both of their rings to the fairy for safe keeping before Zelena's memory potion could steal away the last year of their life. "I wore it on a chain before the curse brought us here." She said, pointing to her slightly swollen wedding finger. She was about to say "thank you" to Tinker Bell when her voice was caught in her throat and instead it came out a strangled cry.

Regina doubled over, and Robin moved up to support her. When it was over, she exhaled and relaxed back against him again. "I'm getting tired of this."

Sweat was pouring from her forehead, her face was red and scrunched up in pain, and her hair was damp. She was a wreck, but, to Robin, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He took another cold rag from Tinker Bell and wiped it over Regina's brow. She shooed it away this time. Her skin was now hypersensitive and anything touching her made her irritable, "or more irritable," as the fairy amended so helpfully.

Robin bent around and kissed her sweetly. She tried to kiss him back, but another realm-shattering contraction hit at that moment, making her cry out against his lips.

" _Fffffffuuuucckk!_ " The expletive left Regina's mouth, her back arched off the bed, and Robin's eyes widened.

Tinker Bell moved forward to check on Regina's progress. Bracing his legs on either side of her, Robin helped hold Regina's knees.

Robin was relieved he had something constructive to do. He wasn't just sitting out in the hall, waiting, biting his nails until a midwife could fetch him, or until he heard the cry of his newborn babe through walls. No. He was here, exactly where he was meant to be, with Regina between his legs, her back against his chest. From here, he could whisper in her ear, tell her how much he loved her, how magnificent she was, and that it was almost over.

"Let me know when it starts to hurt again, but you're about ready to start pushing," Tinker Bell said.

" _When_ it starts to hurt again?" Regina cried out, her tongue still sharp. "There is no end to this torture, everything hurts. All the time. It never ends."

"Isn't this going a little too fast?" Robin asked.

"If she was in labor this morning, then she's been doing this for a little more than twelve hours. That's normal." The fairy looked over at Regina. "When the next pain starts, Regina, I want you to take a deep breath and push steadily until I say stop."

Regina nodded tiredly, barely hearing the fairies voice. Her head back against Robin's chest, she was just so tired. The contractions were coming fast, one almost starting before the previous one finished. Surely, it must be over soon.

She whimpered as the pain began anew. "Here it comes."

"Fine. Now a deep breath and push, Regina." Tinker Bell nodded.

Regina groaned and pushed back against Robin.

After a moment Tinker Bell said, "Stop now, Regina."

But she didn't stop.

Robin, tried to help. "Breathe, love. Don't push anymore."

Regina growled, "Stop pushing…how the hell do I do that?! You try it." The pain increased, and though Regina knew the end was near she didn't know how much longer she could continue. "Oh my god, just make it stop."

"You are doing great, Regina. Now rest for a moment," The fairy soothed.

Regina took a breath, ready for a break, but one never came. "I can't," she shouted. The contractions were now on top of one another.

Regina surprised Robin then, pushing back against him with such force that he was crushed between her and the wall, barely able to breathe. "That's it, Regina. Another big push. You're doing so well."

She let out a moan and slumped back against him, gasping.

"Almost there, love," Robin was whispering breathlessly into her ear, completely awestruck by what was happening. "You're almost done."

"I see the head, and she's got loads of dark hair," Tinker Bell smiled up at her, but Regina was still breathing too quickly, so she added, "Slow your breathing, Regina."

Regina forced her lungs to fill and then pushed the air out slowly.

Robin let go of her legs and wiped her damp hair away from her forehead. He kissed her temple and said, "It's almost over, my love. Nearly there."

"Okay, Regina. She'll be out with the next push."

She was exhausted. Her body felt heavy, she was just so tired. Regina shook her head. "I can't do this anymore."

"Yes, you can Regina. You can do anything." He kissed her temple again. "You heard Tinker Bell, one more push, and she'll be here."

"It hurts so much." Tears poured down Regina's cheeks.

"I know, love, but it's almost over. One more. One more, and she'll be in your arms." Robin grabbed her legs and whispered in her ear, "Are you ready to meet your daughter?"

" _Our_  daughter." At that, Regina's eyes opened, and she felt a renewed sense of purpose. She nodded, then gathering all of her strength, put her hands over his. She took three deep breaths, and then pushed hard, crying out. As soon as the baby passed through, Regina fell back against Robin in exhaustion.

Suddenly there was a loud cry that filled the air, and Regina smiled, forgetting the pain felt only seconds ago. Her daughter was here. Tinker Bell smiled, and taking her wand, she cut the cord. Once the infant was separated from her mother, Tink gently laid her small, slippery body on Regina. Holding her, Regina laughed and cried as their tiny daughter squirmed against her.

Robin sat back speechless as he saw their child for the first time. Once she got settled on Regina's chest, she quieted and opening her small eyes, started looking around.

"Oh, Robin, look at her." Regina stared down in awe.

"She's beautiful," his voice was rough with emotion.

Hearing the waiver there,, she looked up at Robin and noticed a couple of tears running down his face. She kissed one of them away and said, "I love you."

"Oh, Regina, I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell you just how much I love you, but I will spend the rest of my days trying," he vowed.

Tinker Bell draped a warmed blanket over Regina and the newborn, giving Regina a smiling nod. "You're both fine. Perfect in fact."

Leaning forward, Robin kissed her hair.

"Can you believe it?" she asked him, still in awe. "We made her." Gazing down at her baby and stroked her soft cheek with one finger. The cherubic face turned towards Regina's touch, trying to capture it with her mouth. She must have been hungry, the touch triggering her instincts, her little mouth hunting for nourishment.

With her shock of dark hair and blue eyes, she was the perfect blend of them both, and Regina couldn't take her eyes off her. It was love at first sight and a bond formed that would never be broken.

Tinker Bell looked on smiling, tears streaming down her face as she thought of the young, lonely Queen she'd saved long, long ago.

Pixie dust never lies.

* * *

Their daughter entered the world two hours and seventeen minutes after they'd appeared in the magical hollow of the tree. She was now four hours old, a perfect, healthy, beautiful girl.

After Regina fed the baby, she cuddled up beside Robin as he held their daughter while Blue updated them on the Wicked Witch, who was biding her time keeping quiet for now. Blue assured them that all was fine and passed on well wishes from everyone..

Tinker Bell and Blue placed a healing spell to aid Regina's recovery, but they told her it would more than likely be another couple days before she would be out defeating any witches. Regina sighed impatiently. She could do nothing but wait, something that she'd never been particularly good at. She didn't know what her sister was planing and that terrified her, but she relented that she wasn't strong enough. Not yet, anyway. It wouldn't be long now. Regina was anxious to face Zelena and take her family home.

"Regina, I'm sure they have everything well in hand," Robin told her gently.

"I know, I just wish I could go to sleep at night and not worry about someone I love being taken away from me, Robin. I really hate doing nothing."

He understood how she felt. "I know. It won't be long now, and Henry is safely tucked away at home with Emma under your protection spell. Everything will be fine." Robin said, shifting his daughter in his arms. Their baby was the image of her mother, dark haired with large eyes that could enchant anyone. "Think of this as a lesson in patience," he whispered.

"Patience?" she asked.

"And fortitude."

He smiled as she glowered at him.

Regina leaned back onto the headboard, exhausted but exhilarated. She watched Robin as his eyes stared in wonder at the downy haired infant in his arms. The baby was fast asleep. Her face was soft and angelic, and her little rosebud mouth was making small sucking motions.

Tinker Bell stood in the background holding Roland, who took to the fairy, making instant friends with her after the birth. They both were looking back and forth quietly between the two parents.

"We need to think of a name." Robin glanced up at Regina.

She sat up a little and looked at Robin and her daughter. "You're right. We do.

"We talked about several names we both liked back in the Enchanted Forest." Robin smiled.

Robin gave Regina a questioning look as he placed the baby in her arms. "Yes, but we never made a decision. And, Robin, I'm not sure I really like any of those now." She looked at the baby in her arms. "Somehow none of them fit her."

Tinker Bell sat down beside Regina shifting the boy on her lap, looking down at the baby. Without looking up she suggested, "I've always been partial to the name Willow."

"Willow," Regina echoed softly, trying on the name for size, and looked down at her little girl. "Like the tree?"

"The Willow Trees of the Enchanted Forest, which the Fairies believe are graceful, lithe, and amazingly resilient." Nodding to the baby, she said, "She looks to be just like her mother, who is as beautiful and resilient as the tree itself."

"Willow of Locksley." Robin smiled. "I like it."

Regina pulled back the blanket to look at her daughter. "What do you think, little one?" Her daughter's eyes opened and intently held her gaze. She smiled. "Tink," Regina cooed. "Don't get too excited when I say this," Her gaze meeting the green fairy's. "But, thank you." Regina's gaze turned back to her daughter's as she played with the soft curls of her hair.

The fairy glowed at Regina, a silent understanding passed between them. This child was special indeed. Tinker Bell had known of the prophecy of her parents for many, many years. But Regina had been too stubborn to accept her fate and had been intent on nothing but getting her own revenge. Then fate intervened, as fate tends to do, in the fairy's opinion, anyway.

"My pleasure, Regina." Tinker Bell looked very pleased with herself.

Tears suddenly burned in Regina's eyes, but she smiled broadly and nodded. "This couldn't be more perfect. You were right. A happy ending really wasn't so bad." She reached out and stroked a finger across her daughter's soft, downy hair. "Tinker Bell, meet Willow."

The baby was asleep again, and Regina cradled her in her arms before motioning for Tinker Bell to hold her. Roland got down from the fairy's lap and crawled over the bed to sit between Robin and Regina.

Regina smiled as she watched the young fairy tuck the small bundle up in the crook of her arm as if she'd done it a hundred times before. Tink looked in wonder at the child slumbered in her care, studying the small face and running her finger gently down the baby's soft cheek. She glanced up, grinning broadly at Regina and Robin.

Tinker Bell smiled at the baby. ""Welcome, Willow."


	11. Into the Light

The magical tree was turning out to be the perfect hideaway. Robin and Regina cuddled on the king sized bed, sheets newly changed by Tink. Regina was refreshed after a hot shower. Roland sat in his papa's lap as the three sweetly smiled and doted over Willow, sleeping in her mother's arms. Regina drew tiny circles on her daughter's little tummy with her index finger. She leaned her head on Robin's shoulder and deeply sighed. He kissed the top of her head and hugged Roland more tightly.

"Papa." Roland squirmed. "You're squishing me."

"Sorry, little man," Robin said, a grin spread about his face as he reveled at being a father and a husband. He glanced over to Regina. "Quite perfect. Don't you think, my lady?" The Outlaw wrapped his arm around his Queen and pulled her closer to him.

Tinker Bell walked back into the room again; she tiptoed over to their happy, little family, wary of waking the baby.

"Robin," Tink said. "Would you still like me to take Roland back to your camp?"

"With Zelena still out there?" Regina frowned at her husband. "You want him to stay in the woods?" She quirked her brow.

"He'll be safe with Tuck and the Merry Men. It's only temporary." Robin huffed. "Just until we can get back to the house. We're stronger in numbers, and the Merry Men are mighty," Robin paused in his speech before adding, "Especially now that they remember you're their Queen. Just a few hours ago when I went to check on Roland, Emery was telling me of how Friar Tuck has not forgotten how fiercely protective you are of our son. He still hasn't let go of what happened during that pesky missing year." Robin stared at her knowingly.

"Yes, well, as he shouldn't," she said, smugly.

Robin chuckled, kissed their boy on the top of his head, and lifted Roland off his lap and into Tink's arms.

"Be good for Lady Bell, my little outlaw," Robin told him.

"I will, Papa," he said, waving goodbye. "Love you, Regina."

"I love you, too, Roland."

Tinker Bell carried the little boy over to Regina's side of the bed. Roland leaned forward and placed his hands on Regina's cheeks before she brushed her nose lightly against his. As he moved back into Tinker Bell's embrace, she said, "Come on, buddy. Let's go see what the Merry Men are up to."

Robin came around to help Regina move off the bed. With Willow in her arms, she was amazed at how her life had played out. A long time ago, she told Peter Pan that she had no regrets. She'd slaughtered entire villages, sacrificed everything to seek revenge, and it all brought her Henry. She didn't have any regrets then, and she didn't have any now because all those choices she made ultimately brought her to Robin. Maybe it could've been sooner, maybe she could've walked into that tavern when she was still young and not yet tainted by dark magic. Meeting him sooner, however, would have meant she wouldn't have Henry, and Robin wouldn't have Roland. Robin's words echoed in her head, "Well, maybe things work out when they're supposed to. Maybe it's all about timing." Yes, she thought. They most certainly did.

"Well," Blue announced as she appeared in the room. Regina looked up as she laid Willow in the small crib set up next to the bed. "Someone was anxious to visit. I hope you don't mind."

Henry suddenly ran into the room. "Mom!"

"Henry!"

Henry ran into her arms, hugging his mother tightly. Pulling back he asked, "I was so worried about you!" Anxiously he looked around the room. "Was it a boy or a girl?"

Regina responded with a laugh. "You have a sister," she said, placing her palms against Henry's cheeks.

She was basking in the glow of her newly reunited family. In Regina's opinion, it couldn't get any better than this. "Thank you," Regina said, smiling at Blue.

Blue nodded at her. "The town is still quiet. Perhaps the Wicked Witch has realized she won't win in a fight against us after all?"

All eyes turned expectantly to the fairy.

"If only that were true," Robin said, coming to stand beside Regina.

The Blue Fairy continued, "However, I trust that she won't give up that easily. It's been a little too quiet around here for my liking."

"I agree." Henry met his mother's gaze. "You're all making it too easy."

"Sweetheart." Regina looked down at her son in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean, little sis," he replied, smiling through billowing green smoke, "is love is your weakness." The smoke disappeared and so did Henry, the Wicked Witch left in his place.

"No!" Regina shouted and reared back from Zelena like she'd been burned. Her older sister was too quick for her though and froze her in place, along with everyone else in the room.

Tinker Bell came running down the hall at Regina's cry; she'd just returned from dropping off Roland. Zelena magically knocked the green fairy against the wall, rendering her unconscious.

Zelena laughed happily. Her face came inches from Regina's. "You didn't think I'd give up that easily, did you? You forget, little sis, I never lose."

No one could speak. They could only watch as Zelena walked over to Willow's sleeping form. She picked her up and cradled the baby to her. Fear and rage bubbled up within Robin, but he couldn't move. He shook within his paralyzed body.

"Well, hello there, my darling," Zelena cooed to the infant. "What do you say you come with Auntie Zelena, and we change history together, hmm?" The red haired witch looked back at Regina. "Don't worry, little sis. I've decided to take you with us, so you can see what it's like to have everything ripped away from you."

Zelena laughed at the terror in Robin and Blue's eyes. Tink was still unconscious in a heap on the floor.

With that, the Wicked Witch, Regina, and the baby disappeared from the room, and Robin and Blue were released from the bind that froze them in place.

With a display of blind fury that would have made the Evil Queen proud, Robin flung the nearest vase at the wall shattering it. He reared toward the shocked fairy. "Get me the hell out of here!"

The room spun as a cloud of green smoke billowed around her. Regina looked frantically around. She attempted to move, but she was bound by magic, suspended against the back of a wall. Taking in her surroundings, she found herself alone in a barn. She then heard her sister's shrill voice and the wailing of her newborn daughter.

Regina tried to erase the shock from her face as the red-haired woman appeared in front of her. She tried to recall how she got her here but failed.

Regina's eyes widened in fear. Zelena had Willow. She scrambled to gather her thoughts. She was with Robin, Roland, and Willow on the bed, basking in the afterglow of birth. Tink took Roland to stay with the Merry Men. Then Blue brought Henry, and Henry…it wasn't Henry. It was Zelena.

"Please, try not to look so surprised." Zelena smiled at her pleasantly and then down at the baby in her arms. Willow's cheeks were splotched red from crying.

"She's a beautiful baby, sis." Zelena ran a finger down her nose, and Willow's cries increased. "Oh, a little hot-tempered, too, I see. Do you have a bit of your mommy in you?"

"You better hope to hell I don't get out of this," Regina's voice was quiet but deadly.

Zelena laughed. "Oh, calm down. I'm not going to hurt her. What the portal does to her on the other hand, that's what you have to worry about."

Frantically, Regina tried to recall any spell, any charm, any incantation that might break her free from Zelena's hold on her. She thought back over every grueling day she spent tutoring under Rumplestiltskin's strict rules, thought about all the months trying to call forth objects with dark magic, thought about the years it took for her to master elvish spell books and curses.

"Don't worry, sis, soon it will all be over for you, so don't let your concerns for your dear thief or your friends get to you. They won't remember any of this either once I'm through."

"You won't get away with this," Regina growled, her jaw set tight.

"Ordinarily I'd say you might be right, but under the circumstances..." Zelena pointed to Rumple as he walked in carrying a large wooden chest. "I have everything I need and everyone exactly where I want them."

Placing the chest on the ground, the Dark One lifted the lid and took out the hilt of David's sword, putting it in a bowl set around a carved casting circle.

It suddenly occurred to Regina that she was out of time.

They were all out of time.

Robin stormed into Snow's apartment not bothering to knock. "Where's Swan?"

David looked up in shock. "She's not here."

"Damn!" His look could have cut through the hilt of Excalibur. "David, I need your help. I have to find Swan. Zelena took them, and I fear I don't have much time."

"Hey, calm down," David told him. He didn't even need to ask who Zelena took. From one father to another, he knew that look in Robin's eyes. His family was in danger. Regina and the baby were in danger. He knew they'd been close in the Enchanted Forest, but he just didn't know how close.

And then, when they'd woken up here without their memories, David had been baffled by the fact that Regina had very obviously found someone in the Enchanted Forest. When Locksley and his Merry Men started helping out in Storybrooke, David had been one of the first to pair up with Robin on scouting excursions in the woods. They'd had plenty of time to talk, and on more than one occasion, Regina's name came up. The archer had confided in him, seeking guidance on the Queen and how he should proceed. David had told him the only thing he could, "have faith, and your heart will guide you."

He didn't know what was going on between Robin and Regina, but he had a clue. The fire, fury and fear in Robin's eyes were not that of a man protecting friends or the greater good. No. The emotions running wild in Robin's eyes were ones David knew all too well - they were emotions that belonged to a father.

Robin was protecting his family.

After the curse broke, Henry had run to their apartment, letting them all know Regina had gone into labor. Snow had placed her hand on David's arm and let Henry know it would be okay. Regina had told her about the magic tree, and for the first time, Snow hadn't told her secret. She hadn't even told Charming.

"Let me just get Mary Margaret, and we'll call the others."

Robin's eyes darted around the room. He couldn't wait, so instead, he thought better and decided to just leave. He would find them on his own.

"Where are you going?" David asked, reaching for his phone.

"That witch has my wife and daughter, where the bloody hell do you think I'm going? I'm going to get them back!"

"Your…what?" David stumbled and tripped over the words. "Wife?"

Oh, now this was simply too much. Robin was hard pressed to hide his annoyance. "Yes, my wife. Listen, mate, I'll tell you about it over a pint some time, but right now I need to find your daughter," Robin said pointing at David. "Regina told me she's the one that has to defeat the witch. She's the one I need to help me." He headed to the door again but was stopped by David's voice.

"You're going to get yourself killed if you go out there alone." David grabbed him by the arm. "Robin, think about this."

Robin glared at him."There's nothing to think about. She has Regina and Willow, and God knows what she's doing to them!"

"Willow?" David asked.

"Yes, are you not listening?" Robin shouted.

"What's going on here?" Snow emerged from upstairs. "What happened?"

"It's Zelena, she came back to the tree with the Blue Fairy, but she was disguised as Henry. She took them and…" He glanced at Snow. Shouting at everyone was not the answer. He took a calming breath and held his fist over his mouth. "I couldn't stop her."

"The Wicked Witch has my mom?" The door had been left open by Robin's abrupt entrance, and Henry stood in the doorway with a shocked look on his face, followed by Emma and Hook.

"She does, I'm sorry," Robin said shaking his head.

"We have to help her!" Henry said stepping into the room, approaching the adults imploringly.

Robin went to stand beside Emma. "Swan, you have light magic. You must help me, please," he begged.

"I can't," Emma whispered.

"What?" Robin asked confused.

"I've failed, I'm sorry." Emma shifted uneasily.

He shook his head. "No, they're still out there, we just have to go find them."

"You haven't failed just yet," Hook told Emma.

Snow nodded. "Hook's right, come on."

"No, wait," Emma muttered. "Zelena took my magic."

All eyes turned toward Emma. Everyone froze. The words stung.

"What?" Robin exclaimed.

"How did that happen?" Snow gasped.

"Doesn't matter how," Emma said, looking at the floor. "It just happened. So, we need to find another way to stop her."

"There is no other way." Snow shook her head.

Robin groaned and ran a hand over his face. He was going to be sick.

"That's not true." Henry looked around the room and found Robin's gaze. "Mom can do it."

"Sweetheart, I don't think Regina can defeat her," Snow said gently. "Glinda was pretty specific. Only the purveyor of the strongest light magic can defeat her."

"Zelena only beat her because she's been using dark magic against her," Henry protested

"But Henry, it's all she has." Snow put a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"No, it's not," Henry was adamant.

"Henry's right, it's not," Emma said, looking around at them all. "When she kissed Henry that was true love's kiss. That's light magic."

"See? She just needs to believe in herself. She can do it. I know there's good in her." He looked to Robin once again.

"He's right, Regina can beat that witch," Robin said, confidently. "Back in the Enchanted Forest, I saw her use light magic. You don't know her like I do."

"I think we know her pretty well," Emma said.

"No, I'm sorry, but you don't. You see her as she once was. You don't see her for what she is. I know her, I know Regina. She can do this."

He thought of all the things he saw her do during the missing year. She'd saved not only his son's life but his as well.

"And what makes you think you know her so well, mate?" Hook said.

"I've spent much more time with her in the last year than any of you have in the last thirty. I know her. And, I was just explaining to David that I don't have time for this. I'll explain later. All you need to know is Regina can do this. I believe in her."

"She has to," Emma said, still shocked but agreed apprehensively.

"Let's go." Robin nodded.

Emma grabbed hold of Henry who started to follow Robin out. "No, Henry, you stay here."

"No, I have to help," Henry pressed. "That's my mom and my sister out there. I know you want to protect me, but I have to do this. I have to help her."

Robin found himself in a difficult position. He could not allow such a young life to be risked in order to stop the witch, especially not Henry, but he knew Regina. She needed support, she needed to know that they believed in her, but mostly, she needed to know that Henry believed her. So, he didn't protest.

The plan they had was fraught with difficulties. It was risky, incomplete, and the chances of it succeeding were slim. If they were to succeed, Regina would most likely be furious with Robin for allowing Henry to come along.

"Henry's right." Robin nodded at the boy. "Regina needs to know she can do this, and what better way than through her son? I say, let him come."

They hurried to the barn, worried that they weren't going to get there in time, worried that they were too late. The doors to the barn were open, Zelena standing in the middle of a wide circle.

Robin spotted his daughter in a basket on the ground along with Gold's brain, David's "courage," and Regina's heart. He looked up and found his wife's eyes. She looked up weakly as they approached.

Regina's eyes brightened as they locked with his, but that light was quickly replaced by something much darker. He'd seen that look before. She was downright pissed. Robin couldn't help but smirk. Oh, that poor witch, he thought.

Wordlessly, they all sprinted the remaining distance.

"It isn't over yet," David called out to Zelena.

"And who's gonna stop me?" Zelena gloated. "Certainly not the Savior."

"Go." Robin nodded to Henry as they rushed in the door, crossbow in hand. "Get to your mother."

"We got your back." Emma raised her gun at the ready.

"I've got her heart," Robin said raising his bow.

"Zelena, stop now," Snow shouted over the noise, her own bow in hand. "We're not gonna let you succeed."

"Rid me of those pests," Zelena called to the Dark One.

Rumple turned to Emma and Hook. "Get the dagger," he said through clenched teeth. "Then the Dark One will be on your side."

"It's easier said than done," Emma replied.

"Do as I say, or I will destroy you both." Rumple knocked them off their feet and tossed them against the wall. "I have no choice!"

"Come to save your mommy and little sister?" Zelena looked at Henry who was creeping toward where Regina was still suspended against the wall. "Oh, too bad. Not today." She said, shaking her head.

"Henry, get out of here," Regina shouted.

"Mom, it's you that has to defeat her!" Henry called back to Regina, looking up at her.

"I can't Henry." She tried not to wince as she struggled to get free. "I'm sorry."

"Yes, you can!" Henry assured her. "Once upon a time, you were a villain, Mom, but you've changed. You're a hero now, and defeating bad guys is what heroes do. I believe in you. Now, you need to believe, too!"

Henry looked up at her, and she saw the love and faith he had for her in his eyes. She then met Robin's gaze. He was now standing between her heart and Willow.

"I know you're a good mom! I know that you love me! You broke the curse! You can do it!" Henry shouted. "Believe!"

"I've heard enough!" Zelena cried, turning to glare at Henry. She called to her monkeys, "Beautiful one. If you will?"

David wielded his sword.

"Remember, these creatures are our friends," Robin warned and then took hold of Henry's jacket, pulling the young boy behind him.

"Don't worry. I'll use a gentle touch," David replied, feeling Snow behind him wielding her own bow.

Just then, Snow and David were knocked back, tossed to the side of the barn by Zelena's magic.

Hook and Emma were both now frantically trying to get to the dagger but were knocked back again. "Gold!" Emma shouted as Hook lay next to her now unconscious.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me," Rumple said.

Zelena turned back to Regina. "Only light magic can harm me, and you're as dark as they come," the redhead told her angrily. "It was your destiny to be this way, and it will also be your undoing!"

The last year of Regina's life flashed before her eyes. She thought back to each time she felt light, love, and warmth penetrate her dark heart. She thought of the first day her walls slowly began to fall and the moment she knew she'd fallen in love with Roland and Robin. She recalled the day she had told the outlaw she loved him and the moments that followed after until he uttered his declaration to her. She thought of the moment they conceived their daughter and the pixie dust that ultimately led her to her soul mate.

Destiny had never been one of those things that Regina had let dictate her decisions before. It was her choice to either go into the tavern or not. It had been her choice to allow love back into her life, and it would be her choice now to believe in the light that had slowly been growing within her.

"Don't tell me what I can be." Regina narrowed her eyes at Zelena.

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are," Zelena yelled.

Regina gasped as she felt Robin take her heart back. With Henry by his side, he nodded to the boy, who reached down and gently picked up Willow.

"You're wrong, sis." Regina gasped. She could feel the new energy that built in her, the force of it nearly overwhelming her. Light erupted from her hands.

"What are you doing?" Zelena tightened her jaw to keep her mouth from hanging open.

Regina smiled up at Zelena. "Changing."

With her hands finally free, she released the magic holding her in place, dropping to her feet. Holding up her hands, she released the light, knocking the Wicked Witch back into a heap on the ground.

Dazed, Zelena cried in outrage, "What? How?!"

"I make my own destiny," Regina answered, then turned to Robin. "Robin, the baby. Is she okay?"

Robin, who had taken Willow from Henry, glanced down at their daughter. She was looking up at him, content and safe in her papa's strong arms. Willow yawned widely. Her eyes closed, falling into a peaceful sleep. He grinned down at her. "She's fine, love. She can handle anything." She smiled at Henry. "Just like her big brother."

"Sorry sis, but you won't be needing this anymore." Regina strode over to her sister, grabbed the pendant hanging from Zelena's neck. The Wicked Witch's magic draining from her as her pendant was ripped away. "You failed." Regina chuckled. "You're not going anywhere."

"I beg to differ." Using his magic, Rumple dragged Zelena from Regina's feet and across the floor to him. "I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done to me."

"What are you waiting for?" Zelena shouted at him. "Just do it!"

"With pleasure." Rumple smiled.

"No! Enough," Regina interrupted with Rumple's dagger in hand, causing everyone to turn to look at her. She quickly answered the question in their collective expressions. "This ends now."

It was Rumple's turn to be shocked, as it was now Regina who controlled him. "After everything this witch has done you're gonna protect her?"

"Good magic stopped her, and good magic doesn't exact vengeance," Regina told him.

"She killed my son!" Rumple shouted. "She was going to let that portal kill your daughter!"

Regina swallowed. He was right, but somehow she knew this wasn't the way to end this. "How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?" she asked him.

"You can't be serious." Rumple gaped at the former Queen.

"I am," she nodded, looking down at Henry beside her. "Heroes don't kill."

Zelena sneered up at her sister from the ground. "So now you're a hero?"

Regina looked over at her family and then back at Zelena. "Today, I am."

Why, Regina?" Zelena asked bitterly from the inside of her jail cell hours later. "Why not just kill me and put me out of my misery?"

Regina sat in a chair beside the sheriff's desk and tilted her head to the side. "Because I know why you did what you did. We're much alike. Our mother ruined you, too. I know what it's like to not have the life you wanted, the life you feel you deserve."

"Oh, boo-hoo," Zelena mocked. "You got to be Queen. You know nothing. I saw it all. You had everything."

"Did I?" Regina shook her head sadly. Looking up from her lap, she studied the broken woman in front of her. She saw so much of her old self there. "So, you missed the part where I lost the love of my life."

Zelena stood her ground. "Mother did all that for you to achieve greatness."

Regina uncrossed and crossed her legs, thinking carefully about her next words. "Not long ago, I was a lot like you. I wanted to kill someone who wronged me, and I failed. Had I killed Snow White, I wouldn't be in this world." Regina thought over the curse, the years it bought her, and how much she had gained by simply opening herself up to light. "I wouldn't be with these people, and I wouldn't have my son, my husband, or my daughter. So, no, Zelena, I won't kill you. Instead, I'm gonna give you what I got. I'm gonna give you a second chance."

Zelena was silent a moment but then sharply said, "What if I don't want it?"

"Well, that would be a mistake, dear." Regina stood up, piercing her sister with a serious stare. "Take it. Use it. Evil isn't born. It's made, and so is good. If I were you, I'd consider creating a new destiny." Regina walked over to the cell bars. Her voice became deadly, "Because if you don't, I'll be right there to take your heart and crush it." Straightening up she reached into her pocket and pulled out Zelena's pendant. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should put this somewhere safe."

Regina stood in her vault staring at the large silver and emerald talisman that channeled Zelena's magic. She closed her eyes and sighed with relief. She'd finally won. Sure she had defeated Pan, that was true, but somehow this was different. This time, in defeating Zelena, she'd also been defeating her own inner demons. Looking at her sister in that jail cell had been like staring at a different version of herself. In Zelena's eyes, she saw the hollowness reflected that she had once felt.

Undoing Pan's curse, undoing her own curse, in order to save everyone in Storybrooke a year ago had ripped her away from Henry. It had stolen her heart and crippled her with grief, but it had also illuminated something that she hadn't previously realized was missing in her life. Regina's fingers lightly traced the skin over her heart. She reached in and gasped, pulling the beating organ out of her chest. She stared at it, following familiar lines and contours. It was still beaten and battered, but that's what it meant to be the most resilient. Her heart wasn't as dark as it used to be; it glowed a deep, vibrant red. Her mother had been wrong, Zelena had been wrong, and Regina, herself, had even been wrong once upon a time. She'd forgotten the most basic lesson that Daniel had taught her.

"Love. True love is magic, and, not just any magic, it's the most powerful magic of all."

How interesting it was that Glinda's prophecy had been about her, that Regina turned out to be the answer to "only the strongest purveyor of light magic can defeat Zelena."

It wasn't the "Savior" or her infuriatingly optimistic parents. No. It had been her all along, and Regina wondered if light magic had been what her body had naturally wanted to perform from the beginning. All those years she'd spent tutoring with Rumple, all the lessons he'd forced upon her, all the nights and days he'd punished her for not completing a spell accurately or for not completing it on the first try. The hearts he'd made her practice ripping out, the people she'd killed in order to become stronger, to seek vengeance.

Regina still didn't have any regrets, because her path had ultimately led her to her family. But, she was sorry, she was genuinely apologetic and understood that her actions had consequences that rippled out across her realm and bled into this one.

There had been a hole in her heart, and it took many years for her to realize she could fill it, on her own and with the help of others. She slowly allowed other people in, but it wasn't until an outlaw, an archer with a boyish grin and wit had charmed her. It wasn't until they'd taken turns rescuing the other and battling side-by-side that she'd fallen for him. Not quickly, most definitely not smoothly, but, regardless, she had fallen, and that space in her heart, that lonely, dark space was filled with light, color, and sunshine. It was filled with love. Love for Henry. Love for Robin. Love for Roland. And, now, love for Willow.

Today, Regina had everything she ever wanted. Today, she had victory, and it made her smile.

Regina made her way over to the bassinet and looked in. Her daughter's eyes were open, and her arms were flailing with one fist occasionally making its way to her mouth to be chewed on enthusiastically. Regina gazed lovingly at the small, pink bundle that owned her heart.

"Hello, baby girl." she smiled down at her daughter. "You didn't sleep very long, little one."

The baby started kicking her legs and thrashing her head, beginning to get fussy. Regina reached in and picked her up. Holding her close, she pulled the blanket back slightly and marveled at her perfect little hands, her little toes, her button nose, and rosy cheeks.

She leaned down and kissed Willow's silky bed of dark hair. She was completely overwhelmed by the baby's smell. It was the key that now locked this tiny creature into Regina's heart forever. She held her face close to the baby's head and inhaled.

The baby started to fuss. Regina lifted her up in her arms so her head was resting on her shoulder, and she started rocking gently, softly patting the baby's back. She returned to her bed and sat back against the pillows. Willow had already settled, snuggled in, and nuzzled at Regina's front.

"Can I hold her?" Henry asked, standing beside the door.

Regina smiled up at her son. "Of course." she patted the spot beside her on the bed.

Reaching the bed, he sat, and she handed him the wriggling bundle. Sitting back against the headboard, he took the baby gently in his arms. Looking down, he said, "Wow, she's so tiny."

Regina smiled at him.

"I'm proud of you, mom," Henry told her.

Tears filled her eyes, and she hugged him to her side. "Thank you, Henry." Lifting her hand, she cupped his cheek and peered lovingly into his eyes. "Thank you for believing in me."

"I'll always believe in you, mom."

There was a light knock on the door, and they looked up to see Robin and Roland. "May we interrupt?" he asked smiling.

Regina smiled and winked at her husband. "The more the merrier."

Roland wiggled in Robin's arms. He put the small boy on the floor, and he ran over to the bed, crawling up into Regina's lap. Roland looked down at his sister and then up at Regina. "Can the baby play now?"

Regina laughed. "No, sweetheart. She's still a little too small to play."

Roland frowned.

"But, I can play with you." Henry smiled at him.

"Okay!" Roland stood up on the bed.

Robin took Willow from Henry, who then held his hand out to Roland, helping his new little brother jump down off the bed. "Come on kiddo. I think I still have some old toys we can play with."

Regina wanted to freeze time, to stay forever in this moment. As long as it stood like this, with them together as a family, nothing else mattered to her.

Robin took Henry's vacated place beside Regina in bed. "I think Roland is going to like having a big brother."

"Oh, I'm sure he already does." Regina grinned up at him. She leaned back beside him and sighed. "It's hard to believe that it's all over."

Robin looked down at Regina. Taking her hand, he threaded their fingers together and gave her hand a squeeze. "Speaking of…" As she looked up at him, his gaze fell from her eyes to her chest and then back up again. "How does it feel?"

Leaning in, she reached up and kissed him softly. As she pulled back, she answered, "Stronger than ever."


	12. Home

The diner was cozy and filled with the scent of warm, freshly baked bread and heavenly pastries. They all sat around the large table, everyone helped themselves to croissants, muffins, and turnovers, except for Regina and Robin who'd already eaten with their family.

"Look, she has your hair, Regina," Snow cooed beside the new mother. "And she has Robin's eyes. Isn't that amazing?"

Regina smiled at her husband who met her gaze. "You're going to spoil her, holding her so much."

Robin smiled down at his little girl, her firm grip on his little finger. "Then spoiled, she shall be." Robin smirked and kissed her hand. "I have no intention of putting her down anytime soon."

Regina smiled and shook her head.

Emma looked up expectantly at the new parents. "You guys gonna finally tell us her name, or should I just keep calling her, "hey, there?"

"You know, there's sort of this... tradition," Snow began. "Back in the Enchanted Forest when any royal is born, you usually announce the name at a coronation ceremony. We would have done it with you if we could have." Snow's gaze directed at Emma.

The Savior grimaced at her mother and shifted her attention to Regina and Robin. "You're not gonna hold her out in front of the clock tower and present her like 'Lion King,' are you?"

"Excuse me? No." Regina scoffed.

Snow took Regina's hand in hers. "The important thing is that after all we've been through, we're still together... as a family."

Regina looked up at Snow, the princess's grin so wide Regina thought her cheeks might crack under pressure.

Everyone was silent a moment, and then Emma spoke up. "So, don't keep everyone waiting," She said, sipping her coffee.

"Actually, I already know," David said.

"Me too," supplied Tinker Bell.

Red, who was in the booth beside them, held up a hand. "Me as well."

"Who told  _you_?" Emma turned around to face her.

Red reached up and tapped little Roland on the head, chocolate syrup from his ice cream sundae dripping down his chin.

He looked back at Red giggling, trying to reach up and grab her finger.

Snow looked back at her husband who stood behind her. "How do you know?" She asked.

"Well," David rubbed the back of his neck. "Robin kinda let it slip yesterday when he broke down our door." He chuckled.

Regina looked over at Robin. "You what?"

Robin bit the inside of his cheek. "I did not break it down," he said. Looking back, he thought about the amount of force he had used, and the sound the door made as it bounced off the wall. "Though, I may have opened it a bit forcefully," Robin amended.

David interjected, looking around at the curious sets of eyes. "It was barely hanging by the hinges."

"I was going mad out of my mind with worry at the time," Robin told Regina, she was far too amused for his liking. "The witch had taken you and Willow. I was in a state. What was I supposed to do? Politely knock and wait for a response?" Robin glanced at David. "Sorry about that, mate."

"So that's how it slipped out." David laughed and waved it off.

Robin met Regina's eyes, she was smiling beside him, before looking around at the mirrored images on everyone's faces. "Ahh, so yes, Willow. Her name is Willow." Robin realized he'd done it again and cleared his throat.

A sniff beside Regina caused her to turn and look at Snow who was sitting beside her with tears in her eyes.

"Are  _you_  alright?" Regina said, leaning away from her a bit.

Snow waved a hand in front of her face. "I'm sorry. It's just such a pretty name."

Regina narrowed her eyes at her stepdaughter, trying very hard to read her, and then glanced up at David who was rubbing her back. Hmm. Something was a bit off.

"Willow, I like it." Emma nodded.

"So now for the bigger bombshell…" David nodded at Robin. "Is it time for that pint yet, Robin?"

"What is he talking about?" Regina turned to Robin, and again he looked down guiltily.

"I may have let the other thing slip as well." Robin blew out a breath between his pursed lips.

Regina shook her head in exasperation.

Hook took a drink from his beverage. "Like father, like son."

"Well, now that it's mostly out." Regina took a deep breath. "Do you want to tell them?"

Robin shook his head. "Oh no… my love, you may have the honor."

Snow gasped and hit the table in front of her with her hand. "I knew it!"

Emma straightened up. "Knew what?"

Snow pointed a finger at Regina. "That night… that night in the Enchanted Forest. You and Robin said you'd gone to see a 'soothsayer.'" Snow used her fingers to make air quotes. "But, you never came back that night. In fact, you didn't come back until late the next  _night_." Snow narrowed her eyes at them. "I  _knew_  you both looked different."

"Well aren't we perceptive?" Regina arched an eyebrow at Snow.

"Wait, what's going on?" Emma asked, leaning forward.

Regina and Robin all looked at one another. Robin smiled. The long awaited secret was about to be out.

Snow crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair triumphantly and waited.

Regina felt Robin's hand, the hand that wasn't holding Willow, thread through hers under the table. She looked at him, smiled, and smirked at everyone else. "Robin and I are married," Regina revealed.

"Aha!" Snow grinned and thumped the table in front of them.

Tinker Bell looked on smugly.

Henry crawled into the booth behind Regina and Robin and asked, "So how did it happen? Was it love at first sight?"

Robin scoffed.

"What? Do you have something to say?" Regina glared at him.

"Not a thing, my love." He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles, before focusing on Henry.

"She found me completely delightful and captivating. When I met your mother, well, let's just say she intrigued me the first moment I laid eyes on her."

Regina rolled her eyes.

"I don't quite remember it like that." Snow gave a very unlady like snort.

"This will be so cool." Henry excitedly kneeled in his seat. "Hey Robin, do you think you can teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow this summer?"

"Of course." Robin nodded.

Hook took a sip from his flask. "Hard to do that from New York." the pirated nodded, wiping the golden liquid from his wet lips.

"Uh." Emma deflected and gestured down at the book in Henry's hand. "Should we see if your guy's story is in here?"

"Actually, I'd like to know what the pirate is talking about." Regina frowned.

"It's nothing," Emma stated, not meeting Regina's eyes.

"Are you planning on going back to New York?" Snow asked as she looked to Hook and then up at her daughter.

"Why would we go back to New York?" Henry asked.

"You're not." Regina took Willow out of Robin's arms. "Right, Ms. Swan?" she said steadily.

Emma huffed a breath. "Actually, it's complicated."

"Why would we leave?" Henry asked confused, glancing at Emma, and then turning his gaze to Regina and Robin. "This is our home, this is our family."

"Henry, this isn't the time or place." Emma shook her head tiredly.

"I think it is." Regina's jaw clenched, and she looked up at Emma. Her emotions were very close to the surface.

"No, it's not." Emma turned and walked out of the diner. The bell rang loudly as the door slammed behind her.

Snow stood to go after her daughter, but Hook stepped in front of her. "I'll talk to her." he sighed. Snow nodded, and he turned to follow Emma.

"Wait," Henry called. He ran up to Hook and gave him the story book. "Take this. It might help her remember where she belongs."

Regina watched the scene unfold with a touch of resentment and fear in her eyes. She felt Robin's arm come around her, pulling her into his side. "It's gonna be alright, you'll see," he said, his mouth brushing up against her ear before placing a tender kiss on her temple.

David assured. "She's just stubborn like her..." Snow looked up sharply at David. "Uh, like all of our family."

"Uh, grandpa?" Henry asked quietly.

David looked over at him. "Hmm?"

"Look." Henry pointed out the window, and everyone's gaze automatically followed. "What is that?"

Rumple, who just walked into the diner, spoke up. "That is a problem. That light is from Zelena's time portal." He glanced at Regina. "It's open."

* * *

Thankfully, Snow agreed to stay behind with Willow and Roland as they all made their way to the jail. Fear raced through Regina's veins, as she pictured her sister escaping, making her way to Regina's vault somehow and opening that portal to the past.

Walking quickly into the jail, Regina rushed over to the Zelena's cell.

She turned her head to Robin, David, Belle, and Rumple who followed behind her.

"She's gone. No." Regina shook her head adamantly. "She was here when I left her."

"But if she escaped, that would explain the time portal," David said.

"Impossible. Without her pendant, she's powerless. How could she have escaped, let alone open a time portal without magic?" Regina said.

Then her gaze shifted to Rumple as he stood awkwardly behind a chair, his beady eyes shifting between her and Belle uncomfortably. He was obviously attuned to her thinly disguised animosity.

"Unless you did something to her." Regina narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but no. Even if I wanted to, Belle has my dagger. She would certainly curb any homicidal tendencies."

"It's true." Belle nodded.

Regina stared at him a long moment, and from behind her, Robin stood, dubious of the imp's actions. The only thing stopping him from completely mistrusting the Dark One was the Lady Belle at his side.

David jumped in, moving over to a video recorder near the back wall of the room. "Well, if she escaped, let's find out how."

"Wonderful," Rumple muttered under his breath, but Regina heard him still.

She and Belle sat down and waited as David played back the tapes from last night. They watched as the video became a screen of static.

"What?" Regina sat forward in her chair. "What... what was that? What just happened?"

"Yeah, we could use an upgrade. Ah, stupid Betamax." David adjusted the controls on the recorder. "Oh. Here we go."

Soon David fast-forward the tape until an image of Zelena came up. She stood against the wall of the jail cell, waved her hand over herself, and turned into porcelain before shattering into a pile of dust on the floor. David was about to turn off the monitor when the chipped pieces coalesced into smoke and disappeared into nothing.

Regina sat back heavily in her chair, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Rumple quipped, "Well, it seems her great escape was of a more permanent nature. I won't ask for an apology."

Regina gave him a withering glare, before shifting in her chair. She stared blankly at the now empty cell, her thoughts turning over everything in her mind.

"She must have had just enough residual magic to do herself in. When she did, when she was gone, the magic in her pendant had no tether. It was set free. Her last wish fulfilled."

Robin spoke up, not liking the sound of that at all, "So, how do we un-fulfill it?"

"Excellent question." Rumple raised an eyebrow. "But until we figure it out, no one should go near it. A trip to the past could have catastrophic repercussions."

* * *

The portal finally closed. Emma had run back into the diner, rushed over to her parents, and hugged them. She'd explained most of what had happened, about messing up the timeline, and then fixing it. She'd wanted to stay longer at the diner, but she said there was one more thing she had to take care of, so she kissed them both, called them "mom" and "dad" and exited Granny's.

Regina sat in a corner booth, completely entranced by her daughter tucked safely in her arms. Snow slide in across from her.

"I'm so glad you found him, Regina. I can't imagine a more perfect ending, nor someone more deserving of happiness."

Regina smiled sadly at Snow. After all this time, their story had come full circle. They'd finally managed to arrive at where their relationship first started - as friends. "It's not without its challenges," Regina said, looking back down at Willow. "You know, Robin and I are so similar, our stories so alike. He lost someone, too. The way I lost Daniel."

Snow listened intently, reaching out to let Willow wrap her hand around her finger.

"Snow, I owe him everything, my heart, my life, our daughter. I will spend a lifetime trying to pay him back for all of it."

"I can't believe how far we've come," the princess said, smiling.

* * *

"Congratulations, everyone is so happy for you both. She's a beautiful girl." David held out his hand to Robin.

Hook, always the one with the smart quip, piped up, "And the baby is cute too, mate."

Robin blushed slightly but shook both their hands. "Thank you. So, I take it the word is out? For you and Snow White, and for Regina and me?"

"You could say that. Everyone is celebrating," David said, a dopey grin on his face. "The future has been saved, and Storybrooke is ready to welcome the new, little Princess.

"I think he's referring to the seed you've planted in Snow, mate," Hook said and smirked at the look of surprise on David's face. "If that's the word, then it's definitely out. Congratulations, to both of you."

David looked awkwardly at the pirate and the outlaw. He grinned, and then he and Robin slapped each other on their backs in congratulations.

"So, mate, married to the Queen, eh?" The corner of Hook's mouth went up in a smirk.

David looked on curiously. "Yeah, how did you pull that off anyway? There wasn't a ceremony. I mean, we knew you were together. It was pretty obvious." David formed an invisible bump over his stomach with his hands.

"Well, we are quite good actors." Robin grinned. "There was a ceremony; it was just in secret."

David raised his eyebrows. "I'll say."

"Well mates, I believe this calls for a drink," Hook said, passing glasses around. "To our female companions, may they continue to befuddle and enchant us, and may we be lucky enough to keep them away from bloody time traps and curses."

"Here, here," Robin and David coursed readily.

They all clinked glasses together and gulped down large portions of their respective drinks.

David slapped Robin on the back one more time and excused himself to find his wife. Snow would kill him if she found out people were already talking about their pregnancy. She wanted to tell everyone at the right moment, and, according to her, now was not that moment.

"So how was that?" Robin bit the inside of his lip and a creased line formed between his brows.

"The past?" Hook clarified. "Nerve-wracking would be putting it mildly. I've never thought I'd have to punch myself in the face."

"Well, at least you managed to get out of it unscathed, and you didn't end up messing up our futures." Robin pointed out.

"Aye, cheers on that." The pirate raised his glass to the outlaw. "Though, it was rather amusing when Swan got an up close and personal look at the Evil Queen."

"Oh dear." Robin grimaced, trying not to laugh.

Turning toward his new mate, Hook bowed his head. "Indeed. You're a brave man Robin of Locksley. However, I dare say sometime in the queen's dungeons and a glance at her younger parents did Emma some good."

Robin chuckled lightly. "For that, I am very thankful. I wouldn't have wanted to see how Regina and Ms. Swan got along if she were to take Henry back to New York."

"It's a barbaric city anyway." Hook shook his head and set his empty glass on the counter, before excusing himself. "I better go check on Swan."

Suddenly, the door to Granny's burst open. Henry and Roland came walking in. Robin heaved Roland up into the air before catching him in his arms. Roland laughed, his papa swinging him back and forth. The little boy's nose and cheeks were bright red from the chill outside. Worry lines formed on Robin's face.

"Has it gotten that cold out?" he said, blowing hot air on Roland's hands.

Henry looked over at his stepfather. "Yeah. It's freezing out all of a sudden."

* * *

Regina stood in the doorway of their bedroom for a moment and looked at Robin as he slept in their bed, the one they'd shared the night before, and the one they'd share for all nights to come. Regina sighed and walked over to the bassinette, her daughter sleeping peacefully. She gazed down at the baby lovingly and stroked her soft cheek, careful not to wake her.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened and took the last few steps to her bed, she gently pulled the covers back and slid in beside Robin.

Lying on her side with her head propped in her hand, she watched him sleep in the silvery light cast from the bright moon. He'd stirred slightly when she'd eased her way under their sheets, but after a brief murmur and toss, he'd settled back into sleep again. She wanted to laugh but smiled instead, beginning to follow the edges of his tattoo with her finger. He was such a handsome man. Strong featured but with a gentleness about his eyes and mouth. He twitched, and she pulled her hand back.

This time Regina did let out a quiet laugh, and one of Robin's eyes opened sleepily. He didn't move, just stared at her.

Regina lifted her hand and lightly traced the lines around his eyes. He blinked twice and, in a voice rough with drowsiness, pointed out the obvious.

"My lady does not sleep." Robin yawned.

Regina continued with her feather like touches around his eyes, her finger traveled across his brow, down his nose, and along the curve of his lips.

A few weeks ago, she'd woken in her bed, alone and pregnant. The last thing she'd remembered was Emma's yellow bug driving away as her magic mixed with Pan's. She had no memory of how she'd become pregnant, no memory of who the father could be, whether he was a lover or something deeper, something more. The thought had never really even crossed her mind. She hadn't hoped for such a possibility. After all, who could fall in love with the Evil Queen. But then, this very charming outlaw had helped her one day in the park, carried her to the hospital, and brought her flowers.

When Regina had run away from fate all those years ago, she never would've believed they'd eventually find each other. Circumstances and her decisions following her first encounter with Tinker Bell had almost made it impossible, but it seemed fate was on her side. There was no point dwelling on the past now, no point in mulling over mistakes she'd made, not when there was far too much life to be lived here in their present, far too much to look forward to in their future. The past was what it was, and there it would stay.

"Where are you?" Robin's said gruffly.

Regina smiled and met his gaze, letting her head fall into his hand as he stroked his fingers through her hair and caressed her cheek.

"Just thinking," Regina said. "Pixie dust really doesn't lie."

"Hmm, indeed. I consider myself the luckiest chap alive," Robin told her as he pulled her to him.

"I hope you realize that it's not always going to be rainbows, moonbeams, and unicorn stickers." She grinned at his bewildered expression. "There will be times when I'll be stubborn, and we'll have differences of opinion and arguments. As much as I love you, I'm still me – with my dark past – and as you know, I'm no bed of roses."

"Oh, I'm quite counting on it," Robin said playfully.

"You're not." Regina glowered.

"No, not the arguments." Robin's hand caressed her cheek. "I'm just looking forward to the making up."

She cuddled closer and pressed herself against him, moving her hips suggestively, one eyebrow raised as an evil grin lit her face.

He laughed deeply and moved one of his legs between the apex of her thighs. He kissed her neck and shoulder, his hot breath whispering past her ear. "If I'd known rescuing you from a kidnapping and letting you to my bed would mean that you'd fall for me, marry me, and then have my child, I'd have done it much sooner."

Regina wriggled closer still. Her hands stroked over his chest and her leg draped over his hip. She pressed herself against him, grinding their hips together. "You  _let_ me sleep in your bed, huh?"

He pulled away gently and nibbled along her lips and with that he was above her.

Regina felt his hands, lips and fingers begin their exploration. She arched up against him, feeling evidence of his arousal pulse between her legs. A soft moan escaped her lips as his fingers delved and teased, his kisses traveling lower, and lower, and lower until he slid the hem of her lacy nightgown up above her hips.

One thought shot through Regina's mind as she looked up at the ceiling and gasped in ecstasy. Thank god for pixie dust, for the healing powers of magic, and the skilled tongue of her husband. Writhing under the touch of Robin's strong, steady fingers and glorious mouth, Regina couldn't have been more grateful for saying yes to hope, second chances, and creating her own destiny. Whatever fate had in store for them, they would face together. Regina and Robin both knew that now, and it made everything so much better. It made each victory of the past so much sweeter – here began their new life.

The end


End file.
